Dreamers that Do
by Eyebrows obsession
Summary: Lina lives in interesting times, a 'pet' is cause for more chaos. Shadows stir, questions are raised but often left to other shows, and life happens. Slight OOC. LG ZA FX. Read kindly, kindly read. FINISHED.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the legal rights to Slayers, Shakespeare's works, Tom Stoppard's works, or any other literature/anime that I may or may not reference in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction.

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_What Dreams are Made Of_.

……

Once upon a time someone asked: 'Why do we dream? What do dreams mean?' It was the kind of questions meant to make you think, maybe even make you abandon your materialistic lifestyle in exchange for a secluded mountain top. Unfortunately, the majority of taxpaying peasants were too busy trying to survive to listen to the questions in the first place. Most of the people in the village were quite practical; and abandoning the fields to sit around on a rock pondering the meaning of this or that was not practical or, generally, profitable. Lina Inverse, some crazy girl who was passing through, was not as worried about practicality as the mere peasantry.

Alas for the deep questions, Lina was a tad bit lazy, and liked to leave the deep stuff for other people to bother with. In the end, the questions about dreams were utterly irrelevant to the plot. Well, not utterly…

Lina was dreaming.

And Lina knew what the dream meant. It meant that the monotony of exploring the uncharted outer world was about to be shattered. Her current dream was a sign of more interesting times.

Wait, wasn't that some ancient curse?

… Oh well.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

The dream had started in that murky area of unformed thought, the breeding grounds for unregulated potential. Lina could have dreamed anything she wanted. Lina chose an all you can eat buffet, her own personal castle, and a giant bath of gold coins. Hey, it was her dream, wasn't it?

Was it?

"…ina…" the voice was very far away, and yet it managed to invade her pleasant dreaming mind. "Lina Inverse" the voice persisted with infinite patience and impatience. "Lina," by now it had fused with her dream completely; there was no escape from it.

The bath of gold coins was growing exponentially in her dream. While Lina normally didn't mind getting more money, she drew the line at losing food to the sea of melting money. Her castle also melted into the liquid gold, but she didn't mind too much, she was just irritated.

Lina was left sitting at her table and floating above the eternally changing golden waters. Yes, this counted as interesting…

"Hello" the other greeted as she pulled up an overstuffed armchair next to Lina.

"Whaddya want?" Lina replied grumpily, without the slightest fear or respect to the other who had called to her out of her dreams at some ungodly hour. "I never expected to see you again."

The other smirked the smirk that had irked many a bandit and a few demon lords. She used Lina's smirk. _'I wonder if that counts as plagiarism.'_ Lina wondered. _'Naw, she probably has preemptive trademarks on everything. I'd just end up losing money…'_

"Lina darling, are you happy?" The Mother of All Things asked in a motherly tone.

"You dragged me out of my happy castle and took my food at this ungodly hour to ask if I was happy?" Lina squawked incredulously, "and please don't call me darling, Luna only pulled that when she was feeling particularly sadistic." The sorceress added quickly.

"Do you want a pet, Sweetie?" The Lord of Nightmares inquired, this time in a sugary voice that could have produced the cavities that only occurred in bad dreams.

Lina almost fell out of her chair; but she stopped herself before she had a chance to plummet into the incessantly swirling tide of chaos. _'I'm not swimming without a swimsuit, and I'm not risking a dip in undiluted chaos either'_ Lina reminded herself.

"Well," the Golden Lord continued, magnanimously choosing to ignore Lina's confusion and irritation, "I think you want a pet. That's splendid; I'll drop him by tomorrow at breakfast. Seeya later alligator." And thus the one who had longed to regain her shape slipped out of Lina's dream.

Lina was left alone, dumbfounded. She gawked at where her image had sat. Then Lina decided to dream-slap her dream-self across her dream-face to focus her dream-mind. She was back in the fog of unformed ideas, back where she had begun. Lina hated returning to square one, she preferred to stride forward with her face to the future. Well, not all was lost in the return…

"Humph," Lina grumbled into the mist of whimsy and reason, "Well if YOU run off, then I'LL sit in YOUR chair for the rest of the night. I never said I wanted a puppy or anything."

So the incredibly mature sorcery genius left her own seat and settled herself into the overstuffed armchair that belonged to the other. And there she sat, with a petulant pout upon her face, until her alarm clock woke her many hours later. Lina wasn't patient, she was stubborn.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

He was nowhere, he was everywhere. He was at the beginning, he was at the end. He had to have been somewhere, he thought therefore he was. He decided to not care where he was or was not, he didn't have a map so he didn't know where he ought to be. He just was there, alone.

He was not alone.

She was there, wearing a face he knew too well.

She spoke in echoes of falling snow and peals of laughing thunder. He couldn't understand what she was saying; he wasn't made to understand the mechanics of the universes. She smiled in waves of golden light and shadow, and a twist of an impish mouth.

Then she brought out the shovel and a large burlap bag and a thick rope.

'Somehow,' he mused as his head rang with the blow, 'I don't think this is going to be fun for me…' But by then his conscious mind was devoured by darkness, and he didn't think until few hours later.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Golden eyes searched unseen skies. Golden fingers caressed a nonexistent cage. Golden voice poured out to no one's ears. Golden shadow cast a golden light.

There is a fine line between being alone and being lonely.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

**Author's Note to the Generous Reader**: Welcome and Thank You. I am pleased to meet you and I hope to see you in the future.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any of the literature/anime I may or may not reference.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction.

I thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_Deep-fried_

…….

The morning is the best part of the day; if you can wake up and stay alert enough to enjoy the beauty and solitude. Too often we prefer to sleep through until noon rather than rising in the dark and watching the tendrils of the dawn sun embrace the pale sky. Yes, sunrise is a splendid, romantic, early event.

Emphasis on the 'early' part.

Lina usually didn't watch sunrises. Her pillows were much more comfortable than some early morning sunrise staring. Generally, Lina slept until the quiet sounds of the inn roused her. Lina's alarm clock was the soft swishing of the maid's skirt as she walked past the door, the faint clatter of dishes from the kitchens, the muted murmur of voices, and the footfalls of the other guests as they went down the stairs. Not today.

Today, Lina woke up before the sun had begun to cross the horizon. Lina felt like the first person awake in the inn. It was very unusual, but Lina had a good reason.

It involved food.

What else do you expect from Lina Inverse?

She rose early for the sole purpose of getting first dibs on the inn's specialty breakfast. Lina heard that the innkeeper's wife was an excellent cook; and that her specialty was a delicious, calorie packed, inexpensive feast. Lina liked the sound of 'inexpensive feast'. Regrettably for the sleepy head sorceress, the innkeeper's wife stopped making special breakfast orders at seven in the morning. So Lina dragged herself out her bed at half past five. She sat around for a while, resisting the seductive invitation of her pillows.

'_I've heard that sleep is a toned down version of death,'_ Lina mused in a stupefied semi-sleep state, _'if waking up is so hard, I understand why even Mazoku can't raise the dead…'_ Lina managed to stumble down the stairs without inflicting severe bodily harm to her self. The young lady wobbled over to the nearest table and plopped herself into the wooden chair. '_Why do I feel like I've been sitting in an armchair all night?'_ Lina wondered, _'and why do I want a puppy?'_

The portly innkeeper interrupted her thoughts by waddling over to her and asking if she wanted anything to eat or drink. Lina ordered the special breakfast several times over and then some, shoving thoughts about puppies into the back of her brain.

……………………………

Gourry strolled into the inn a few minutes after the innkeeper's wife had brought out Lina's breakfast. It was almost as though he had planned that…

"Wow, Lina!" Her favorite jellyfish exclaimed, "You're up so early, did you have trouble sleeping?" He sat down across from her; and for a confusing moment Lina saw a different blonde, sitting in an overstuffed armchair.

'_Whoa, I'm really tired… that or I've finally lost my mind and I've begun to hallucinate'_ the bandit killer thought as she tried to separate the man she saw in front of her from the other she almost remembered. Lina gnawed on a piece of deep-fried sweet bread and stared with glazed eyes at a point on Gourry's left ear. She stared without blinking for two minutes before Gourry decided to do something.

Gourry stole one of Lina's deep-fried eggs and devoured it in front of her.

No reaction.

He waved one of her deep-fried chicken wings in her face and then he ate that too.

No reaction.

Lina was absent-mindedly chewing on her glove.

Gourry smiled, he knew what was going on. Lina must have fallen asleep with her eyes open! Gourry understood; he fell asleep with his eyes open a lot of the time, like when Lina started to talk about how magic worked.

"Poor kid," he remarked to himself, "She's really tired but she'd never forgive herself if she missed this breakfast. I wonder what I should do…" But while the swordsman was pondering the best course of action, Lina's mind was rebooting rapidly.

Lina's crimson eyes cleared and she slapped her face several times. Gourry wasn't surprised, after traveling with Lina for eight years he'd grown accustom to most of her quirks.

"Good morning, Gourry!" Lina greeted as she spat out her glove, "Get your own food." Gourry ignored her second comment as he stole a deep-fried avocado and a slice of deep-fried cheesecake.

Lina hadn't slept well, she woke up early, she just remembered an important dream, and some one was taking her food. Lina wasn't in a good mood. Lina had a butter knife.

So she took the logical course of action and tossed her butter knife at the food thief.

Gourry dodged, he was too good a swordsman to allow a mere eating utensil hit him. The butter knife buzzed as it flew past his head at a dangerous speed. The knife miraculously managed to sever the waitress' apron strings without harming her as it sped past with a hum. The flying knife was kind enough to shatter the elderly man's teacup and leave his arthritic hand unscathed as it flew past. The utensil missile didn't hit anyone; it just buried itself up to the hilt in the solid oak door.

The knife handle quivered next to a woman's head.

A woman who, oddly enough, looked like Lina; the only difference being the godly aura of golden light emitted by the other.

"Nice!" The Lord of Nightmares remarked with undisguised admiration.

Then The Golden One coughed to hide her approval. "As I promised, little Lina, I brought you a pet." Since the Creator of All Things said so, a burlap bag covered body appeared before Lina. "Play nice," The Lord of Nightmares encouraged, "I'll see you later, my chipmunks."

And the Mother of All hopped on to a little, red tricycle and pedaled into the clouds that waited in the early morning sky.

The quiet noise of the inn returned, as though only Lina and Gourry had seen the most powerful entity appear and then leave on a red tricycle. A little, red tricycle with sparkly stuff all over the handle bar and smiley face stickers on the pedals to be exact.

Gourry blinked, "Chipmunks?" He inquired tentatively.

"Chipmunks" Lina affirmed, wringing drool out her chewed up glove.

"Oh" Gourry beamed, "I don't get it."

"We're only human" Lina replied cheerfully, "We're not supposed to understand the workings of the universe".

"Yeah" Gourry nodded sagely. "So what did she give you?"

"She said it was a pet."

"It looks like someone with a bag on his head."

Lina swallowed a few deep-fried salad shrimp before responding.

"It's Gaav" she remarked casually, watching her companion out of the side of her eye.

"Who?" Gourry asked, falling into his role of the confused jellyfish.

"Gaav" Lina replied, licking grease off of her ungloved hand, "Y'know: Mazoku traitor, maybe colorblind, super tall, weird eyebrows, cocky jerk, got knocked off by a little boy, et cetera…" Lina waited for the spark of memory to show in Gourry's blue eyes.

"Oh yeah, I remember him!" Gourry lied poorly, "But why are you so sure it's that guy? He does have a bag on his head."

"Elementary dear Gourry," Lina chuckled arrogantly between bites of deep-fried potato hash, "Despite his concealed face, there are several distinguishing characteristics that are unhidden by the sack. With my great intellect and those clear clues, identifying him is child's play." Lina would have prattled on, she hadn't prattled enough recently.

"I don't get it" Gourry interrupted her monologue with a forlorn note.

"I mean," Lina snapped, "Only a few people are that tall, and only one person would wear a trench coat in that color."

"I wonder why he has a bag on his head." Gourry said casually, "Should we take it off?" He chewed on another piece of deep-fried cheesecake.

"No." Lina stated firmly, "We shouldn't let the Gaav out of the bag"

"Oops." Gourry muttered as the burlap bad slid off the Devil Dragon King.

Gaav didn't move for a short time, it was as though he was asleep on his feet and with his eyes open. Then he blinked. His brain slowly processed his surroundings. There were four things he noticed:

He wasn't dead.

He wasn't in the Katato mountain range.

Lina Inverse was in front of him.

He was really hungry.

Gaav paused to organize his priorities. He could try to kill Lina Inverse; that was what he had been doing last time. He could eat now and worry about killing later. His stomach and his brain dueled briefly. Luckily, his stomach was faster in delivering an eloquent growl.

Food was the top priority.

"Hey!" Lina shrieked indignantly as two men attacked her food, "That's mine!"

……………………

The three stopped feeding on the fried feast after a half hour of brutal competition. The girl, the man, and the demon lord leaned back in their respective seats with simultaneous sighs of satisfaction.

The peace was short lived; Lina hadn't gotten to say her piece before the two men had viciously pounced on her food. Now that the food was gone, Lina decided to assail the demon lord with a speech. Not a justice speech though.

"GAAV!" Lina cried dramatically, knocking the Devil Dragon over with the sheer volume of her voice, "What are you doing back from the dead? Didn't the hole in your chest, the sliced off arm, and the fire that incinerated your body discourage you from returning? Why are you back? Have you come to seek revenge? Or will you grovel before me and beg for mercy and forgiveness?" The title 'queen of speeches' belonged to Amelia, but Lina knew art of verbal attack almost as well as her princess friend.

The traitor demon sat back down and slouched like a sullen teenager, projecting an air of disinterested disdain.

"I don't know why I'm back" he grouched as he attempted to pick something out from between his teeth, "The One with Dominion Over All Terrible Dreams whacked me with a shovel and put a bag on my head. Now I'm alive and eating with the enemy and I'm wearing a stupid collar that won't come off. Don't ask me what's going on; I'm the one who's confused." He flicked something off of his thumb, probably food, and leaned an elbow against the table, a study in feigned boredom.

"A collar?" Gourry repeated happily, "You mean, like, a dog collar? I had a dog when I was little who didn't have a collar, but he ran away and never came back." He grew quiet, perhaps overwhelmed with the task of thinking about dogs.

Lina felt a sinking sensation that was entirely unrelated to the artery-clogging fare she had recently consumed. The Lord of Nightmares had mentioned a 'pet'… and considering the fact that the Lord of Nightmares had made the world, she probably had a very twisted sense of humor.

"Lemme see the collar" she ordered.

Gaav knitted his ruby-red, caterpillar-sized eyebrows together as he considered her rude demand. He had eaten, so he could try to kill her. But… he wanted to know what the collar said just as much as the diminutive sorceress.

He could try to kill her some other time.

The large man leaned forward so the girl could grab the newly added decoration around his neck. Lina read the engraved tag once to herself, and felt a peculiar sensation bubbling up inside her. Lina wanted both to run around the town laughing like a crazy crone and to find a nice hard rock to bash her head on. Unfortunately or fortunately, Lina was too tired to run around the town and there weren't any hard rocks within arm's reach.

Oh well.

She could ignore the impulses as she read the cheap metal tag aloud:

"First line: Gaav the Devil Dragon King." Lina announced, "Second to forth lines: Pet and Property of Lina Inverse." Lina looked at Gaav and frowned, "I'd rather have a puppy" she informed him with a childish pout, "maybe I'll call you Fido."

Lina Inverse lived in interesting times… Lina Inverse would live interesting times.

…………………………………………

The Golden hand reached for an intangible and opposite shore. The Golden arms stretched out so painfully far. The Golden fingers nearly touched a nowhere. But she reached too far and not quite far enough. She sighed but she never cried. Yet tears of unknown origin cascaded along her borrowed face.

There are some things God doesn't know. There are some things God cannot do.

………………………………………………

**Author's Note to the Compassionate Reader:** My deep thanks to you, my heart is filled with happiness when I see that my humble writing has been read. I pray that I do not let you down.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_Coincidence (part one)_

……

For some reason, when things begin to happen around Lina Inverse her friends begin to move away from their ho-hum routines and towards Lina. Even from as far away as Seyruun or Xoana or Sairaag, her old traveling companions shake off their normal lives and drift towards Lina Inverse.

How do they know when to prepare for Lina? Do they even notice when Lina's life draws them in?

Perhaps it was all coincidence.

Perhaps the princess of Seyruun snuck out of the palace for no other reason than her desire to spread Justice. It was possible that Amelia slipped out of the palace at about the same time as when Lina was in a dream conference with the Source of All Chaos purely by coincidence.

Perhaps Zelgadis was walking on the same road that Amelia was following away from Seyruun because he wanted to walk there. He was following someone's advice because he had lost his map. It was plausible that the chimera and the princess literally ran into one another by coincidence.

Perhaps a pottery-making dragon maiden decided to purchase a larger house on a practical whim. Her adopted son was growing up quickly, and her assistant had gotten married recently. Filia couldn't have known about the number of houseguests she would host in the near future. It was probable that the new house had just the right number of bedrooms due to luck and coincidence.

Perhaps the King and Queen of Xoana traveled to Seyruun to chat about building up both armies and nothing more. The two kingdoms were allies, the queen and the princess were on first name terms, and Xoana had always wanted a bigger army. It was possible that the renewed desire for a larger military came at that particular time, as a coincidence.

Perhaps Sylphiel returned to where Flagoon had once stood because she was feeling very nostalgic on the anniversary of Sairaag's fall. When she tripped over a rock and discovered Flagoon's seed, nothing could have shocked her… not even a disappearing rock. It was, slightly, probable that the reason she found the Holy Tree's seed then, at the same moment as when the Lord of Nightmares rode away; was a coincidence.

Perhaps it was all random chance and good timing.

But it's far more likely that someone, or something, worked hard to guide events. Perhaps a gloved hand pointed the way or pushed a person into position. Perhaps a sly smile concealed a secret until it was the proper time.

Maybe someone had a point to make.

Maybe it was a conspiracy.

Or maybe it was just a string of unrelated, yet lucky, coincidences.

Perhaps, for example, Amelia's mission of Justice was just an impeccably timed and fortunately pulled off coincidence.

…………………………

The dungeons of Seyruun are touted as the most secure place to store evil-doers or, if there's a vacancy, good wine that you don't want your relatives to get into. Escaping from the palace of Seyruun is almost impossible; especially for the royal princess.

Amelia could barely ditch her royal guard when she wanted to go into the royal bathrooms. She could barely convince her servants that she didn't need a handmaid handing her exactly five squares of extra-soft, royal toilet paper. At least a prisoner in solitary confinement had privacy! There was always someone trying to follow a princess.

But Amelia would get out.

She had spent exactly one year, five months, two weeks, and one day without leaving the city. She was sick of wading through paperwork and navigating court alliances while wearing a fake smile and a glittery tiara. Amelia absolutely hated acting polite for evil courtiers and never punishing them for their wicked deeds, she longed for the open road where she could deliver Justice in the open.

She wanted to return to the life of a Champion of Justice.

So Amelia decided to escape.

She even went as far as to write out an escape plan.

First she would spend the day working on a law that would provide education for children of all backgrounds. This first step would send her guards the message that nothing was out of the ordinary and they didn't need to worry about her.

Second, she would slip off to the fifth floor toilets. It had to be the fifth floor because that was the only bathroom with a window of any kind. The fifth floor skylight was essential.

Third, she would change out of her bulky, impractical dress and into her tunic and pants. She prepared for this step by sewing a large pocket in between two layers of fabric and hiding her travel clothes within. Amelia couldn't really walk properly with the extra weight pulling on her skirt, but the sake of Justice requires some sacrifices.

Forth and finally, she would climb out of the skylight and onto the roof of the palace. From there she would cast Ray Wing and fly out of the city limits. After that she would follow the open road wherever it wanted to go.

Amelia considered the plan 'perfect'; now if only the definition of 'perfect' included phrases like: crazy, somewhat generalized, prone to change, and capable of failing miserably.

At least it was a plan.

…………………………

Amelia frowned as some no-name noble dumped an armload of paperwork onto her desk. With an air of great personal importance, the man pranced away from the irritated princess. Amelia stuck her tongue out at his retreating back. A soft giggle caused her to quickly retract her tongue and look around for the amused person.

Two out of five of her guards had gone out for hot coffee and soft serve ice cream, one of her guards had stayed at his home with a fever that morning, two of the remaining soldiers were snoozing, and the last man was smiling out the window at the sunset. Finally the princess' eyes alighted on her Uncle Christopher's court mages.

The mages were newcomers to the court; apparently Christopher had met them on one of his diplomatic missions and, since they needed jobs, he hired them to replace the deceased Kanzeil and Mazenda. Amelia still didn't know their names for some reason, she thought they sounded something like 'Rosy-crayons' and 'Gilded-stream', but she didn't want to offend them by mispronouncing their names.

"Can I help you?" Amelia inquired as formally as she could. As she spoke she also tried to study the two carefully, so she could recognize them at another time.

"S-sorry" the first mage gasped between giggles, "I didn't mean to titter; I was just shocked when I saw a princess acting like a normal girl." She was about the same height as Amelia, she wore thick glasses, and she had cropped black hair that looked like it had been on the wrong end of a Digger Bolt. "Your Uncle sent us over to see if we could help you with anything." For some reason, she reminded Amelia of an old lady, but at the same time she seemed like a perky and spacey young woman.

Amelia brightened at the prospect of making someone else sort through the idiotic nobleman's papers. "How are you with filing paperwork and filling in formality type forms?" Amelia asked eagerly.

Hopefully her Uncle's mages could deal with her busy work while she busied herself in escaping.

"We can read in several different languages, we can decipher messy handwriting, we can forge signatures, and we are highly proficient at making checkmarks." The second mage replied with cool sarcasm. He was a handsome young man with black hair that possessed a perfect sheen stolen from a magazine cover, flawless skin copied from a make-up ad, and icy-gray eyes that glared from above a pair of reading glasses. The lighting shifted to show him in his best light, a faint chorus of angels accompanied his movements, and Amelia could have sworn his robe billowed dramatically in his personal wind. "I dare say that we are almost over-qualified to fill and file forms." He added arrogantly.

"No one is too good to work." Amelia replied perkily, "You shouldn't ask what Seyruun can do for you, but rather what you can do for Seyruun. Since my last name is Seyruun, sometimes I am called just Seyruun, therefore I can be considered Seyruun and you can fill out forms for me!" Amelia loved her logic; it helped in writing speeches and convincing people into helping her.

"Right oh!" The female mage exclaimed with equal enthusiasm "We were hired by her Uncle so we ought to do everything we can to help her. So let's get cracking on those silly forms!" Amelia liked the enthusiasm and dedication that the first mage demonstrated; Seyruun need more enthusiasm in the government.

"Thank you," Amelia smiled, "If I could request one more favor: I would like to know your names again, I'm afraid they've slipped my mind at the moment." She wanted to write both of them thank you notes for doing her work after her planned Justice crusade.

"I'm Guildenstern," the first mage said as she read a page of off the noble's paper pile, "and he," she gestured towards the man who was also reading, "is called Rosencrantz."

The man groaned aloud and set the paper down, "No, stupid." He snapped at the other mage, "I'M Guildenstern and YOU'RE Rosencrantz. Get it right for once."

"Oh, yeah… that's how it is. I forgot." Rosencrantz, unless she was really Guildenstern, nodded agreeably. Amelia decided that Rosencrantz acted a little bit like Gourry.

"Well I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." Amelia said, smoothly interrupting the mages as they began to discuss identity and truth. "I hope we can become good friends."

Amelia glanced out the window, past the only guard that was awake. Beyond the man's slightly-familiar and smiling face, she could see that the cover of night had descended upon Seyruun city.

"Pardon me," the princess announced to the assembled people, "If you'll kindly excuse me, I must go powder my nose." The snoozing guards roused and began to collect themselves, but Amelia waved a dismissive hand at them. "Please, don't bother following me, I might take awhile and I would be so embarrassed if someone was waiting." And with that she left the paperwork to the mages and ran up the stairs to the fifth floor.

It was time for step two, and then three, and then free.

…………………………

Two hours later, one of the members of Amelia's guard ran into Christopher Ul Brozz Seyruun's personal study in a fit of panic. According to the poor man, the princess had slipped out of a fifth story window and left her dress behind. The reason that they hadn't discovered her escape earlier was because one soldier kept persuading the rest of them to wait for her to return from the bathroom.

Christopher sighed; he should have seen this coming, especially since he knew Phil so well. Like father like daughter.

Oh well…

The second prince sought out his court mages, they could probably find Amelia. Although he wasn't sure if he wanted them near his niece, finding Amelia was the top priority. He found them doing her paperwork.

"Rosenstern, Guildencrantz." He addressed them, "I need you to find my niece... she's left the palace alone." They bowed and he left the room.

Christopher climbed the stairs to Amelia's room and peeked in; perhaps she had left a note or something. Phil usually liked to leave some sort of note. He didn't find one note; he found several drafts of a note, a written out escape plan, and a rough travel itinerary.

Christopher sweat-dropped, maybe he should go after his niece himself…

No, not should go after her, he was obligated to go after Amelia. It wasn't a question of should, it was his duty. He didn't want her to come to harm like Alfred had, but he had made a foolish mistake.

Christopher remembered what had happened the last time he hadn't stopped two Mazoku from getting close to one of his family members.

The second prince missed his son dreadfully.

…………………………

Zelgadis touched his mask again, to reassure himself that it was there. The road he the chimera was following led Seyruun city, according to an innkeeper that Zelgadis could have sworn he knew. It was odd that the innkeeper had insisted on Zelgadis taking this particular road, but the chimera had lost his map and he didn't have enough money to buy another. That was the only reason Zelgadis had taken the odd innkeeper's advice. No, really.

Zelgadis checked his mask a second time. Since Seyruun city was a large city; that meant that there were more people on the road. Therefore Zelgadis clung to his mask more than usual. Partly because he didn't want to frighten the other travelers, but mostly because he was still self-conscious about his blue and rocky complexion.

At least the road was mostly empty at night.

Zelgadis preferred the semi-dangerous solitude of nocturnal travel to the well-protected crowd of daytime travelers. At night, no one stared at him even if his mask was off.

Zelgadis sighed, brushing thoughts of travel preferences away for the moment. The chimera had to make a decision that he had been debating for the past few days.

Zelgadis had to decide whether or not to try to visit Amelia at the royal palace. On one hand, he hadn't seen Amelia for several years and it would be nice to chat about old times. On the other hand, he didn't want to deal with a bunch of overly-paranoid guards questioning him about his business at the palace. Which would win out, his desire to see a friend or his aversion to people?

While he was lost in thought, a person walked right into him.

"Sorry," a young lady's tired voice apologized as she wobbled away. Zelgadis nearly fell over in surprise. The girl was wearing a cloak with a hood that concealed her face, but it didn't hide her voice from his sensitive ears.

"Wait!" He ordered the cloaked figure.

She didn't wait, she began to run away.

Zelgadis spent a short time grumbling about his life in general before chasing after her. As she ran, her hood flew off her head to reveal her short, black, familiar hair. It was undoubtedly her. His strong hand caught her wrist and he spun the princess around to face him.

"For the love of…" he groused, "Please stop running, Amelia! It's me… Zelgadis." The chimera said. Their eyes met. "What in the world are you doing here?" He asked, "Is someone chasing you? Are you in trouble?"

In response, Amelia blushed and looked away sheepishly.

The truth dawned on Zelgadis and he ran a hand through his wiry hair.

"You were running away from the palace, weren't you?" Zelgadis sighed.

"I was not!" Amelia exclaimed self-righteously, all fatigue gone from her voice, "I'm going to spread Justice," she explained, "like butter upon the toast of society." Amelia added the nonsense about toast the way Lina stole food, casually and quickly.

Zelgadis valiantly fought the urge to roll his eyes, some people never really change.

"Well then," the chimera tried not to smile, "Let's go."

The princess blinked. "Go?" She echoed quizzically.

"You- I mean, we're" Zelgadis began, fighting a crimson blush. "We're going to… ah… spread Justice like butter, right?"

Amelia beamed. Zelgadis was such a great guy! Even though they hadn't seen each other for awhile, he willingly dropped his plans to travel with her. He was so sweet.

"Indeed, we shall spread Justice upon the bread of the peoples! Let's go, Mr. Zelgadis!"

'_Oh well,'_ the chimera mused, _'I guess I didn't have much else to do…'_

…………………………

Back at the palace, the guards were playing the classic game of pass the blame.

"I swear," the soldier who had alerted Christopher repeated for the umpteenth time that evening, "I swear it was another guy's idea. He kept saying we should wait for her to finish up!"

"That true?" A different soldier sneered, "Who was it? You said you and James were napping while Carl and Greg bought coffee and we all know that Horace has been barfing up his guts all day. So who was this 'mysterious soldier'?"

"I don't know!" The hassled soldier snapped back, "I keep telling you I thought he was a replacement that the captain sent! I didn't know him; I thought he was some newbie."

"Yeah, right!" A new mocker shouted, "The captain didn't know Horace was sick until this evening, and he never sends replacements! But tell us Thomas, what did your imaginary friend look like?" The assembled mob laughed and jeered.

"This guy kept smiling and smiling! He had purple hair and he kept his eyes shut and he never stopped smiling. I don't know who he is or where he's gone, but I'm not making him up!" Thomas insisted with a whine.

The other soldiers laughed some more. The more the poor man denied it, the more the hecklers became convinced that he was fibbing.

…………………………

Was it all coincidence? One wonders sometimes.

Somewhere someone smiled.

Somewhere someone frowned.

There were more coincidences to go around.

…………………………

**Author's Note to the Patient Reader:** I am glad that you have read this far, it makes me very happy. I'm sorry if the plot is moving along slowly, and I'm sorry Lina didn't get any lines this time. Please continue to read and have patience with me. I thank you.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction.

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_Coincidence (part two)_

……

"So we're going to Seyruun and that's final!" Lina Inverse declared as she clapped her hands together and looked at the two men seated at her table.

"Huh?" Gourry replied, looking up from licking a breakfast plate.

"Huh?" Gaav replied, blinking at the diminutive sorceress.

'_What are those stupid looks for?'_ Lina raged inwardly, _'I took the initiative and made a big decision and all I receive is stupidity! Life is so unfair to me…'_

Gourry raised his hand, "Uh, Lina? Why are we going to Seyruun?"

It would have been a very stupid question if Lina hadn't announced their destination out of the blue. It was, however, a valid question since he hadn't been privy to Lina's internal debate. Lina didn't hit the blonde swordsman over the head; despite the fact that she had expected Gourry to instinctively know why she wanted to go to Seyruun.

"We're going to Seyruun because I want to!" Lina smiled brightly, hoping to grin a light through Gourry's innate dimness. "Really, think about all the benefits! Soft-serve ice cream, crashing at the palace, seeing Amelia, there's a lot to do in Seyruun! Plus I feel like I'll find something important there!"

Gourry nodded along with Lina's list. "Okay," he said, "We might also see Zel there, huh?"

"Right, right; you never know! So let's go!" Lina cheered. This was how life was supposed to be, she made decisions and they all went with her in search of endless adventure.

That was how life was supposed to be.

"Wait a minute!" The third person interrupted, "Why should I go to Seyruun? I don't want ice cream, I don't like the royal family, and I don't like the idea of looking for some vague 'something important'! As far as I can see, this is just some stupid whim."

Lina smacked the rude demon lord with a slipper. Not her good slipper, mind you. She used one of her older slippers, a pink slipper with the fish-man embroidery coming apart to be exact.

"I want to go to Seyruun. I said we're going to Seyruun, so we're going to Seyruun!" Lina snapped like the mature twenty-something she was. "You don't have to follow, Fido!" She remarked rudely.

Gaav stood up and towered over the snappy sorceress. Sometimes it pays to be eight feet tall.

"Don't call me Fido!" He roared, "And don't go hitting people with slippers, you flat-chested, self-centered girl!"

Lina smacked him with the fish-man slipper again, just to show that she could hit people with slippers whenever she felt like it. Gourry sighed and handed the waitress some plates before Lina climbed onto the table.

"Now, now…" Gourry spoke calmly, "There's no need to be rude. You don't have to fight…"

"And you can't tell me where to go!" Lina screamed.

"I might be wearing a collar that says I'm your pet, but that sure as hell wasn't my idea!" Gaav shouted back.

"Hey, calm down" Gourry tried again.

"I don't want to follow you!" Gaav hollered, "I want to kill you!"

"You shouldn't care about my ice cream cravings if you want to kill me!" Lina countered furiously.

By now the place was mostly deserted. The Innkeeper was hiding under a table in the fetal position with his right thumb in his mouth. The waitress was sobbing hysterically in the kitchen and breaking all the dishes. The Innkeeper's wife was packing up her valuables and preparing to leave with a band of gypsies. And all of the patrons had fled at about the time Lina had clambered on to the table. The people of the outer world didn't know much about magic, but they could recognize demons when they saw them. They knew what to do when demons began to fight.

That is, run away as fast as possible.

Gourry watched the two redheads' fight with a growing sense of doom. At the rate this was going, Lina was going to start blowing things up.

"Frankly, you wouldn't be able to kill me!" Lina challenged, her evil aura warping the air around her.

"You wanna test that theory out?" Gaav growled, cracking his knuckles as a threat.

That was it.

Gourry wasn't going to let things escalate any further, partially because he feared for Lina's safety and partially because he didn't want to have to run away from a mob of pitchfork wielding villagers this early in the morning. And also because he hadn't been done with his tea earlier.

"That's enough, you two!" Gourry interrupted, sounding like a strict father with a pair of unruly children. "Lina, get off the table this instant! Gaav, sit down now! Both of you be quiet!"

The two startled people obeyed, shocked at Gourry's uncharacteristic firmness.

"Gee, wow!" Gourry remarked cheerfully, "I didn't think you'd stop fighting that easily!" He chuckled sheepishly, "Well, now that I have your attention; let me say that fighting isn't going to do either of you any good." Gourry slapped a heavy hand on the Mazoku Lord's shoulder, "Listen Gaav, it's a lot less painful to just do what Lina says. Besides, if you go and pick a fight with her, you don't know what she may end up doing." Gourry shared this information like an important secret. Then he spun around and laid both hands on Lina's shoulders. "Lina, Gaav is your pet so he's your responsibility. You are responsible for Gaav. He has to follow you, but he doesn't want to. You ought to try to be nice to him." The crickets chirped. Gourry beamed at the two stupefied people. "Now shake hands and let's all be friends!"

'_Great'_ Lina thought, _'I feel like a kindergartener.'_

'_Great' _Gaav thought, '_I'm going to get ice cream.'_

……………………

"So, why are we going to Seyruun?" The four year old princess of Xoana asked her mother.

"Because Lord Zoamelgustar has predicted a great catastrophe that will start at Seyruun" Martina explained, patting her daughter's dark-green hair. "Someone needs to save the world, and it is Lord Zoamelgustar's desire that we go to Seyruun. We have the monstrous Zoamelgustar's blessing." Martina smirked.

'_Oh goody,'_ the child thought, rolling her light green eyes, _'we're following the advice of an oyster and saving the world. My life sucks.'_

"You see, dear Marinnie," Martina continued, enraptured at the mention of her idol, "We must save Seyruun to save the world. If Seyruun falls then Xoana will fall. And if that happens, my world will be destroyed!"

"Fun" the four year old remarked glumly.

"If we help Seyruun, then Lord Zoamelgustar shall provide us with all we desire!" Martina continued gleefully, knocking her head against the carriage roof as she tried to pose.

"I'll duel Gourry again!" Zangulas exclaimed.

"I'll make Lina pay for blowing Xoana up!" Martina sang.

'_If the oyster owed me any favors, then I'd make it so that I wouldn't have obsessive parents anymore.'_ The little girl thought.

……………………

"So, why do you follow her?" Gaav asked Gourry.

"Huh?" Gourry blurted automatically.

The two men were walking down a road, towards a port town, where they would get a ship back to the barrier lands. At least, according to what Lina had said. But said sorceress had fallen asleep while walking, and from her piggy-back position on Gourry's back, she wouldn't have been able to read a map even if she was awake. The two men just had to hope that they were on the right road.

"I wanted to know why you're following Lina" Gaav reiterated for the blonde. He wondered if trying to make small-talk was lost on Gourry.

"Why I follow Lina…" the jellyfish mused aloud, "Well, gee… maybe it's because that's what I'm supposed to do." Gourry decided with a vigorously confident nod.

"Supposed to do?" Gaav repeated, "What kind of reason is that?"

Gourry laughed, "Not a good one?" he guessed. "Well, what if I said I stayed with Lina because I love her? Is that a good enough reason?"

"You love her?" Gaav echoed in disbelief, "What's there to love? She's violent, rude, greedy, gluttonous, self-centered, and vain. There's not much good there, and she doesn't really have any… well… goods… Y'know, boobs."

Gourry smiled the small, serene smile of one who has heard the same words so many times that they don't have to listen anymore. "I know she isn't perfect, but I love her all the same." He stared at some of her flame-like hair that had fallen across her face and over his shoulder.

"Y'know, I know you said you wanted to kill Lina." Gourry said calmly, an edge of steel within his voice. "But if you want to hurt Lina, you'll have to get through me first."

The swordsman's eyes were fierce and protective as he glared at Gaav pointedly. Then Gourry grinned, his usual simple smile. And for the next hour or so, Gourry chattered at Gaav about Lina's good points.

Gaav noticed with some small surprise that a blush had crept across the face of the supposedly sleeping sorceress. The amount of affection and happiness radiating off the pair was absolutely nauseating for a Mazoku.

Maybe, maybe Lina wasn't so bad. Maybe the journey wouldn't be so horrible.

……………………

Sylphiel paused to catch her breath and drink some water. _'Goodness,'_ she thought, _'has the walk to Flagoon always been this long?' _She surveyed her surroundings; she wasn't far from where Flagoon had once stood.

"Right," Sylphiel murmured, "It's not far. I can look around and get back to Sairaag before dark."

Sylphiel had a desperate urge to go to Flagoon and search the area, she was sure that something terribly important was nearby.

She had dreamt of old times the previous night; of times when Flagoon had stood and her father had lived. In her dream, a strange priest had taken her to the tree and told her to listen to the voice of Flagoon. She had listened, and Flagoon had shown her a vision of shadows and sorrow, of danger approaching Lina and Gourry, of hope springing from a single seed.

So Sylphiel hiked towards where Flagoon was supposed to be.

She stood where she had once saved Lina's life.

She paced the perimeter of where the trunk had once been, of where a temple had stood and disappeared.

…She…

She tripped over a rock.

"… ow…" Sylphiel whimpered. Thank goodness no one else was around; it would have been so embarrassing to fall on her face in front of someone else!

Not that she had fallen on purpose; the rock had felt like a hand grabbing her foot! The rock had purposely tripped her! …Okay, that was enough with the excuses.

She pushed herself upright and noticed that something small and powerful was below her left hand. She looked down and stared for a good long time.

A tiny seed lay on the earth.

"This…" Sylphiel whispered reverently, "This is Flagoon's seed…"

"You got that right!" A happy voice from somewhere agreed, "I take it you know what to do now."

Sylphiel turned around in surprise, clutching the seed protectively. For the shortest second, she saw a smile in the air.

And then?

And then nothing was there.

Not even… a rock.

……………………

"Yo!" She called, waving a hand in front of his face, "Anyone home?"

He had been watching the water lapping at the ship's hull. Her hand intruded on his hypnotic watching and he looked up.

"What do you want, girl?" Gaav growled at her.

Lina smirked in a patronizing fashion, oozing with confidence and arrogance.

'_She's looking down at me'_ Gaav noted with irritation, _'and I'm nearly three feet taller.'_

"Oh, I'm a simple girl. I don't want much," she lied, "Well since you asked; I do want more money, lots of food, a soft bed, a hot bath, maybe a castle, and ultimate power would be nice too." She shrugged, "But that's not what I came out here to say." She tossed her orange hair over her shoulder with a practiced gesture, "After talking with Gourry, I decided to forgive you for trying to kill me last time. After all, you didn't kill anyone; someone knocked you off! You died in a really lame way! And the Lord of Nightmares told me to be nice." Lina would've patted herself on the back. "So I've decided that it's just stupid for me to hold a grudge." She was very pleased with her magnanimous announcement.

Gaav was not as impressed.

"Oh goody" the Devil Dragon King sneered, "A little girl doesn't hold a grudge against me. My life is so wonderful."

Lina whacked him with a boot; slippers were too soft to do enough damage to a Mazoku noggin.

'_Where the hell did I get a boot from?'_ Lina wondered, she was still wearing both of hers and she wasn't in the habit of carrying spare boots in her pockets… oh well.

"For your information," Lina shouted as she planted a foot on Gaav's back, "You're supposed to be grateful!"

'_This journey is going to suck'_ Gaav grouched.

……………………

"I'm so glad someone has bought this house!" The woman gushed; clasping Filia's hand as though she feared the dragon maiden would run away. "I was afraid that we would never get away! No one ever wanted to buy this house, with the ghost and the plague of frogs and all that nastiness."

"What?" Filia interrupted, no one had mentioned a ghost or a plague of frogs before!

The woman slapped her hand to her mouth in vain hope of forcing the words back down her throat. She obviously wasn't supposed to have told the customer about a ghost before receiving payment…

"It's nothing really!" the human tried to laugh her mistake away, "We just have a little problem with a ghost."

"Please, tell me about it." Filia implored, "I have the power to send a restless soul to Heaven." As she said so, the dragon pressed the payment for the house as well as a few extra gold pieces into the woman's hand. As long as her intentions were noble, there was nothing wrong with Filia using bribery to get information.

The woman glanced down at the handsome payment and then up at the serious golden dragon.

'_Well, it couldn't hurt to talk a little bit'_ the woman, we will call her Mrs. Chatter for now, thought. _'I have the money… and she seems like a nice young lady.'_

"It's been absolutely dreadful," Mrs. Chatter sobbed dramatically, "We never had any trouble with ghosts before, but one dark night HE came." She dabbed at her eyes with a polka-dot patterned hanky, "I think it's because we didn't lock the door, I always told Arthur to lock the door but he says there's no need to mistrust people. Well, having a ghost has certainly showed him" she added brightly, "This ghost has been so horrid! He brought a plague of frogs and he's cooked horrible food in my kitchen and he looks better in my dresses than I do! Plus he gets happier and happier as he causes more trouble for us!" True to her name, Mrs. Chatter continued to chatter.

Filia had sneaking suspicion about the so called 'ghost'.

"Tell me, Mrs. Chatter, what does this ghost look like?" Filia prompted.

Mrs. Chatter stopped recounting the ghost's various tricks to describe the ghost's appearance.

"Oh, he's a very good looking young man. He likes to smile, he has a very nice smile, and he has purple hair." The middle-aged woman giggled like a school girl.

That was all Filia needed to know.

"Thank you, Mrs. Chatter." Filia said with a strained smile, "If I see this ghost, I will try to reacquaint him with my dear friend Mr. Mace."

Oh, she should have guessed! Especially since Xelloss was the one who had found this particular house listed in the Seyruun Star classifieds. That Mazoku had insisted that she buy this house and she had fallen for his advice!

"Is that how you send restless souls to Heaven?" Mrs. Chatter asked nosily.

"Uh, yes, sure…" Filia fibbed, "Oh look, my helpers are here! I have to go; it was great talking with you Mrs. Chatter, bye!" She dashed away from the curious woman as quickly as she could.

Val, Grabos, Jiras and his wife and step-son, and her uncle hadn't arrived; but a familiar presence had gathered and Filia hadn't wanted to involve to gossiping Mrs. Chatter.

The shadows solidified.

"Hello, Xelloss." Filia greeted as she swung her mace casually at him. She knew he would dodge; he dodged every single time she tried to take a swing at him. And she had been taking swings for over six years.

He dodged.

"You really weren't that subtle, Namagomi. Are you losing your manipulative touch?" Filia questioned him as she reattached her beloved mace to her iron garter.

He smiled, "Subtlety is lost on dragons, dear Filia. The only way to maneuver your race is either with outright threats or with numerous neon signs. Seeing as you don't bend to threats, I had to use the neon sign technique."

"So, why did you choose this house?" Filia demanded half-heartedly, she knew what Xelloss would say already.

"That, my dear, is a secret." Xelloss giggled out his personal motto, "Oh, look! Three fox-people, a green thing, an Ancient dragon, and a Golden dragon! Your helpers, I assume?" He waved as he melted into the shadows, "I'll be back, but Mr. Milgasia probably won't be happy to see me. He seems like the type to be very protective of his niece."

Filia sighed, that man was such a pain!

……………………

The Golden Lord stood upon the Sea of Chaos and gazed at their reflection. There were many faces, but none were their own. Well did that matter? What value do faces have aside from demonstrating individuality? Is there an identity that runs like a common thread through all of creation and destruction?

There is/was/will be no benefit in ruminating over such things.

……………………

**Author's note to the Eagle-eyed Reader:** Thank you for reading; I apologize for the massive loads of foreshadowing that I've dumped into these past two chapters. In the next chapter, the villain of this piece shall be introduced. I pray that you will continue to read.

Oh, how do you like Marinnie?


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime/pieces of culture I may or may not reference now or in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction.

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_Shadows moving_

……

In a basic caste system, tax-paying peasants tend to sit on, or very near, the bottom tier of society. This is not a very desirable situation because the combined weight of all the other tiers presses down ceaselessly. As if the peasants didn't have enough back-breaking work in life!

Yet despite the unpleasantness of it all, Seyruun history has only two records of peasants attempting to revolt, and neither attempt lasted longer than a week. The reason for the lack of a solid 'peasant-power' movement probably lies with the description of the average peasant.

The term 'peasant' tends to bring to mind phrases like: dirt poor, downtrodden, uneducated, and so realistic in outlook that the term 'pessimistic' fits. The majority of the peasant population living in Seyruun follows this description to the letter… or would if they knew how to read.

In all fairness, the peasants in Seyruun are better off than the stereotypical serf. But peasants are still peasants and the life isn't a fun one.

Peasant life is especially unpleasant to the unique or unusual.

Occasionally someone exceptional is born from peasant stock, but the stubborn majority of the peasant people has a nasty tendency to shove everything, _every face every name every mind every dream every life every death_, into controllable conformity.

Occasionally a rebellious heart begins to beat within a peasant chest, but the hopelessly stagnant tide of peers has a 99.99 percent chance of snuffing the flame of change. _Who wants something new and unknown? It's better to suffer a life you know than to risk something worse._ Sparks of a revolution don't spread very far in watered-down thoughts.

Occasionally a learner and a dreamer arises out of the peasant people, but endless toil and a lack of education has a sorry habit of grinding a mind to scattered pieces. _Why do you waste so much time trying to sit and think? Thoughts cannot feed you in the depths of winter nor protect you from the bandits' sword_. There is no point in pondering when one must work to survive.

It is not possible to learn when nothing is taught.

It is not possible to dream where dreams cannot be sought.

It is not possible to know when the battle for Truth will not be fought.

It is not possible to hope among the happily oppressed lot.

There is neither hope for change, nor fleeting dreams, nor intelligent things; not if you cannot move the mental walls, nor remember the slumber's desire, nor think on life beyond hard work.

How sad to see, there is no life in the life of a peasant. What a sad life a peasant lives!

Edgar Crow hated his life, and he set out to escape it.

……………………

Edgar Crow was special, it just didn't show. He had a keen mind, extreme patience, and a desire to have more. These unusual mental traits hidden by a disturbing lack of distinguishing physical features; thus Edgar Crow's individuality didn't show.

His family was a peasant family and his childhood was a so average that it hardly bears mentioning. His mother, Lenore Carrie-On Crow, was a woman exhausted from hard work and a harder life. His father, Allen Gomi Crow, was a habitual drunk and a cowardly bully. Edgar was their fifth child to live past infancy.

From his birth through his life, Edgar's face was composed of the most average features. His nose, his ears, his mouth, his chin, his cheeks, and his forehead could have all come from play-dough molds; their appearance was just that bland. His hair was a dull shade of mud brown that didn't show dust and his eyes were a shade of brown that most people associate with something they don't want to step in. From a few feet away, Edgar looked a bit like every other person in the world. He never stood out.

As far as anyone beyond Edgar knew, Edgar was a good boy all through his childhood. He was polite to his elders. He could sit still and be quiet. He didn't fight with his siblings. He always took his father's beatings.

Unknown to anyone else, Edgar was not a good child or a good person. He taught himself how to read. He sabotaged the cabbage patches. He hated the king. He tortured cats. He plotted and plotted and plotted.

He was very good at waiting, patience was his greatest ally.

He waited through beatings.

He waited through his sibling's idiocy.

He waited through famine.

He waited through farming.

He waited until his mother died.

He waited for twenty long years. He hated for twenty long years.

Once his mother was gone, there was no one left that he cared for. So he poisoned his siblings, he strangled his father and stabbed the corpse until the face was gone, he burned the farm, and then he went after his neighbors.

You see, Edgar Crow was crazy.

After he had destroyed the corner of the peasant world he knew, he decided to hate the only thing he knew of from the larger world. Edgar Crow hated Seyruun. He hated the city, he hated the royal family, and he hated the sound of the name.

So he decided annihilate all of it in a most spectacular fashion. He plotted and plotted and plotted again.

……………………

Half a year after the clone of the Red Priest destroyed most of Sairaag, Edgar Crow came to the ruined city in search of information regarding cloning and chimera creating. Edgar had a disjointed plan for destroying Seyruun, but he needed to learn more for his plan to become anything more than a pipedream.

Sairaag was the perfect place to gather the facts that would refine and solidify his plot. Not only had there been chimera labs, cloning research stations, and a reputation as a city of magic; Sairaag was the resting place of the demon beast Zanaffar.

……………………

The two guards on duty gave him less than a cursory glance before waving him through the gate. He looked like so many of the people who were helping rebuild the city that the guards were careless.

Only when he was lost within the crowd, did one of the guards think that something was… unusual about his eyes. In the man's flawed memory and idle imagination; the peasant's eyes possessed a feverish glassy glow, and they contracted and dilated far faster than a human could ever manage. In the soldier's mind, the peasant's eyes were filled with empty hatred and a spark of undirected intelligence. The more and more the guard thought, the more he filled his mind with worry. Finally he voiced his discomfort to the other guard on duty.

"Don't be stupid, Thomas," his partner grunted.

"Fine," Thomas (who, it is interesting to note, ended up as one of Princess Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun's bodyguards a few years later) whined, "But don't blame me if a Mazoku gets into Sairaag." Then Thomas gave the okay to enter the city to a priest with purple hair.

"I do hope there's no trouble with Mazoku here" the priest said in concern.

Thomas puffed out his chest, thumped the end of his spear on the dusty ground, and grinned at the benevolently smiling man.

"Don't worry, Sir Priest" Thomas announced valiantly, "As long as I'm on duty, I won't allow any Mazoku into Sairaag!"

"I'm sure." Xelloss replied as he strolled into Sairaag.

……………………

Edgar had found the ruins of Rezo's lab. While he hadn't expected the hole to be so deep, he was overjoyed that the clone had destroyed the lab. Apparently the blast that had eliminated the lab had also brought a number of useful books to the surface. The destruction of the lab meant that Edgar saved time.

Edgar started his information hunt by sifting through the dirt near the edge of the hole, within minutes he found several important looking scrolls and a large, leather-bound book. The man spent three hours rummaging in the rubble and then an entire hour sorting what he wanted out of the mound of information.

'_It is odd to see that so much survived the explosion'_ Edgar mused as he tossed a broken jack-in-the-box into the trash heap. _'I thought that very little could be uncovered in this short a time. But it seems that God approves of my mission; there is no better explanation for my luck.'_

Edgar picked out four books and three scrolls; it was all he could carry. Three of the books were written by the Red Priest on esoteric subjects: creating humanoid chimeras, making copies with the same power as the original, and, for some reason, how to consume another being's life force. Theoretical mumbo-jumbo filled the three books and two of them didn't contain examples of past successes; but that didn't deter the determined Edgar Crow. The last book was a history of Sairaag, with over half of the book devoted to talking about Zanaffar; the demon beast interested Edgar for some reason.

The scrolls looked important, but he didn't take the time to read them with care. Edgar felt an impulse to rush and leave the city quickly, so he packed the loot into his bag and hurried toward the gate. He hurried as though he was fleeing impending destruction, he ran like a Golden Dragon from the Beastmaster's Priest.

Edgar didn't even grunt an apology when he ran the Priest coming out of a tea shop, the peasant had to get out of the city and apologizing to any priests would only slow him down. Besides, it was the idiotic priest's fault; the smiling man had the nerve to walk through the wooden door without opening it first.

Edgar ran and ran and ran. When he stopped running, he turned around to watch, as demonic flames consumed the Holy tree and the rebuilding efforts crumbled below cursed power.

Edgar laughed with a succession of dry barks. He had escaped the city of ghosts! Surely that incredible luck showed that he had God on his side.

……………………

Xelloss hummed a rendition of 'Deck the Halls' to himself as he lit Flagoon on fire. It was such a waste, burning the tree that is; the branches were large enough to host tea parties on and the tunnels had the most amusing echo effects. The Lesser Beast liked the idea of a gigantic tree sitting smack in the middle of a big town. It gave the city an air of environmental awareness. The tree reminded Xelloss of his favorite spot to rest back on Wolf pack Island.

Oh, well. Lord Hellmaster wanted the plot of land that the tree covered and all the tree huggers in the world couldn't deny Phibrizzo what he wanted. Still, it was a waste of a good tree.

Xelloss whistled the tune of 'Jingle Bells' merrily as he slaughtered the slowest running humans in Sairaag. Burning trees wasn't the Trickster Priest's favorite thing to do, but weeding out the weakest of the humans was a great way to eat.

Xelloss broke out into a few verses of the Seyruun national anthem as he blasted the city-under-construction to kingdom come. He had been overcharged for tea earlier and blasting the buildings to bits was a great way to relive his irritation. Not that the money bothered him, but being overcharged was generally not something demons had to worry about.

Something else bothered Xelloss, but it was a petty worry that he pushed to the back of his head. Something about a human who had run into him, the way the man had tasted…

It didn't matter, that human was probably dead now.

Xelloss brushed his violet hair out of his smiling eyes; he had reduced Sairaag to a wasteland once more. What was next on his list of 'Things to do'?

He checked his fuzzy, pink day planner for his next move. Ah, yes. He had to meet some girl named 'Lina Inverse'… Xelloss stared at the name for a few moments before leaving the city of ghosts to the Lord of Hell.

……………………

Edgar was very busy for a few years. First he had to learn how to use magic. Then he had to read the books and scrolls he had collected. After that he had to find some important ingredients; something with Shabranigdo's power for example. Finally, he had to work.

It took about seven years, but everything was coming together. A few days before Lina got a pet, Edgar finished his project. As soon as he was done, Edgar headed toward Seyruun in search of the Princess.

If he killed her, then the kingdom would be cast into a state of confused sorrow. Amelia was very popular with the citizens of Seyruun, she was a real 'People's Princess.' Once he killed her, he would destroy the entire kingdom.

Luckily, Amelia had snuck out of Seyruun before Edgar arrived. Her father, Prince Phil, was also away from the palace. Her Uncle Christopher was also gone. It was so perfect it was suspicious.

Instead of waiting around or chasing after one of the members of the royal family, Edgar decided to use the demon tribe. There was no doubt in his mind that he could use the Mazoku race, he had enough power. Edgar would succeed if he was patient, and he was a very patient man.

He would destroy Seyruun eventually.

……………………

A Pure Wish had called Golden Power.

A Golden Mind responded.

The Wisher lived on for a reason.

She Would Save…

Who would she save?

……………………

**Author's Note to the Serene Reader: **Thank you for reading, thank you for waiting. I apologize if the introduction of the villain is too long… I am sorry that Lina didn't get any lines.

I will try to update sooner next time… And Lina will get many more lines…

Ah, to those who have reviewed, my deepest gratitude is given to thee.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_Bandits and Collision Courses_

……

Banditry has always been a popular career choice; the sheer number of bandits in the world is evidence of the job's appeal.

According to a panel of experts, banditry is the easiest job to get into. A prospective bandit doesn't need a resume, any letters of recommendation, or even an education. The experts have found that, out of all the jobs out there, banditry has the most flexible schedule and largest number of vacation days. Finally, if a person is motivated enough and skilled enough, banditry can be the most lucrative of careers moves.

The report shows that there are many perks to being a bandit.

On the other hand, there is an odd trend in the number of bandits. In the last decade, there has been an alarming dip in the number of new bandits and bandits in general. The job requirements haven't changed, the number of people looking to get rich quickly hasn't diminished, and the laws haven't become any stricter; but banditry has become one of the least sensible of careers.

There is a single reason for the drop in bandits.

Her name is Lina Inverse.

……………………

At the moment, Lina Inverse was getting off a boat in a small port town. She and Gourry were both stumbling around, getting used to the feel of solid ground below their feet.

Six years ago, Lina indirectly destroyed this port town by triggering a tsunami with a Dragon Slave. In the years during which Lina and Gourry explored the outer world, the port was rebuilt (thanks in great part to a generous grant from Seyruun). Someone had even replaced the bell in the tower where Filia had first met Lina and Gourry… but the hole from Filia's mace was still there.

Ten minutes after getting back on dry land for the first time in a week, Lina was already eating lunch. Gourry was also eating for that matter. Gaav, despite his love for battle, was very wisely sitting at a different table with nothing but water. After riding in the same boat as Lina and Gourry, he had learned to stay away from them when they ate.

Something told the Devil Dragon that Lina was more dangerous with a fork than with the Ragna Blade and that Gourry could deal more damage with a soup spoon than with the Sword of Light.

'_I may love to fight'_ Gaav thought, watching the two humans feed like they did every single day every single meal. '_But I'm not suicidal. I know well enough to only fight battles that I can win or battles that I must not lose.'_ He frowned as a glob of something splattered on his orange jacket. _'…I wonder how people survive eating with those two.'_

"Gimme gimme gimme!" Lina shrieked, wrestling with Gourry for the last piece of bread.

"Nuh-uh! I licked it already! You can't have it!" Gourry replied childishly, with the bread half way into his mouth.

"I don't care!" Lina snapped, "You've already kissed me so eating your food is fine!"

Gourry's jaw dropped and his ears turned bright red. "Uh, uh, um, well…" he stammered as Lina devoured the bread.

Gaav shook his head _'And these are the people who killed a piece of Lord Ruby-eyes, Zanaffar, Mazenda, Kanzeil, Seigram, Phibrizzo, and my Valgaav.'_ He watched as the waiter came with a new bread basket, _'What is it about these two that makes them so invincible?_' Lina's squealed with delight and Gourry cheered, and they dove like synchronized swimmers for the bread. Within half a minute, two repeated their squabble over the coveted 'Last Piece of Bread'. '_Watching them is more fun than fighting them' _Gaav decided, _'and fighting them was quite fun.'_

An unlucky waiter delivered the bill and an irritated Lina went to hassle the owner about the price. She came back in two minutes in a very positive mood. As far as Gaav could guess from her emotions, Lina had gotten a reduced price and learned something that interested her. She was planning something that made her very happy.

She was so happy, that she abandoned her usual miserly ways and bought a new sword for Gaav and a bobble-head octopus for Gourry.

She was definitely up to something.

……………………

Night is the ally of those who wish to go unseen. Whether you want to escape persecution or commit a crime or sneak away from your traveling companions to do a bit of bandit hunting; the cover of night is very useful.

Lina used the cover of the night to ditch her companions for a bit. She had waited until she could hear snoring from both Gourry's room and Gaav's room before she had changed out of her pajamas and into her favorite clothes. Once she was dressed, she opened the window and slipped out.

"Ah, this is so easy…" Lina chuckled to herself as she dashed through the forest, "I know Gourry doesn't approve of beating up on bandits, but a girl has to think of herself sometimes."

Lina glanced over her shoulder, just to make sure that no one was following her.

She ran into something and promptly fell on her posterior.

'_Ow, ow, ow, ow…' _Lina thought, _'Okay, I'm keeping my eyes forward from here on out…I'm going to focus on the future.' _Then Lina looked forward. _'Oh, oops…'_

"Wow! Gourry! How unexpected, to meet you out here!" Lina smiled insincerely, _'Crap, now he's gonna lecture me or something…' _"It's such a nice night; I thought I'd go for a walk" Lina lied, "I didn't expect to run into you!"

"Were you really just out for a walk?" Gourry asked, "Because you've got your _'I'm gonna get money'_ smile on your face. I think you're planning to go after some bandits."

Lina twitched; Gourry certainly knew her smiles well…

"Okay, okay. I lied." Lina admitted, "I really am going bandit hunting. There's no other reason for a girl to sneak out at night, is there?" She blinked her red eyes cutely at Gourry.

"I can think of a few." Gaav interrupted as he stepped out from the shadows of the forest.

'_What is this? The 'Baby-sit Lina League'?'_ Lina wondered furiously, _'I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself!'_

"Mind if I ask you why you go after bandits?" The Devil Dragon continued as he inspected the blade of his new sword.

'_I bought you that sword! You should thank me by leaving my business alone!'_ Lina shot at him in her head.

"Yeah," Gourry piped in, "You say it's for money, but usually there isn't a whole lot of loot, is there? I mean, you usually make me pay for your food."

"Bandits aren't particularly strong opponents. There's not much fun in beating on them, is there?" Gaav asked.

Lina rolled her eyes, why do people always ask her 'why bandits?'? It was probably a waste of time, but Lina decided to try to the answer the 'Why bandits' question.

"It's elementary, dear Watson-s." Lina started with a fake accent, but it sounded funny so she dropped it. "Bandits are scum. It's okay to kill them. Even if they aren't great fighters, they use all sorts of interesting tactics. Bandits are good practice, if you fight enough bandits, you'll get good enough to take down all sorts of enemies!" Lina scooted around Gourry; maybe she could still make a run for it… "And despite my spending habits, bandits have a lot of treasure. Treasure is good. When I go after bandits, I'm being fiscally responsible and planning for the future. That is also why I don't spend MY money."

By this time she had inched past Gourry. Lina began to run before either man could stop her.

"Hey!" Gourry cried out, "Hey, wait for me! At least let me come with you!"

And they were gone, their two forms quickly swallowed among the nighttime shadows. Gaav frowned and pondered for a bit, she did have a point…

He looked at his new sword, it was a very high-quality blade, a beautiful broadsword. The handle was unadorned and the three foot long steel blade lacked the character given by nicks or bloodstains. The blade needed to be used, it begged for action with a lusty voice.

"Well, I am a bit rusty" the Devil Dragon King mused, "I can use the practice."

……………………

The night was serene. A multitude of stars winked down from the dark sky and the crescent moon hung in the sky like a goddess' radiant smile. A gentle breeze made the forest leaves rustle and the long grass ripple. The cool night air caressed the bandits' faces and tickled their more eloquent sides.

"Sure is nice tonight" Bandit A remarked.

"Uh-huh." Bandit B replied, nodding sleepily.

"Days like this make me glad to be a bandit." A continued.

"It isn't day." B pointed out perceptively.

"I know that!" A snapped, "I was just saying that I was glad to be a bandit!"

"Why's that?" B asked, not missing his cue.

"'Cause if I was back home, I'd probably be married by now." A explained.

"You? Naw, you wouldn't be married." B interrupted.

"I was saying," A continued, ignoring the other, "If I was back home, I'd have a woman. If I had a woman, I couldn't enjoy nice nights like this."

"Why's that?" B prompted promptly, he'd heard THIS tirade before.

"Oh, you know how women are. A man can't go off at night without them getting all jealous." A nodded like the world's expert on women.

"Oh" B replied scratching his bottom. He didn't know much about women, he'd always been shy around girls.

"But, it isn't always good to be a bandit, is it?" B mentioned.

"What makes you say that?" A demanded.

"It isn't easy being a bandit. There's stuff like Lina Inverse out in the world." B answered.

"Lina Inverse?" A scoffed, "Don't be silly, no one's heard anything about her for the last six years! She's probably dead, if she every existed."

"You don't believe in Lina Inverse?" B whispered fearfully.

"I think she was just some story made up to scare us." A responded, "When people kept telling crazier stories, it was obvious that she didn't exist."

"You sure?" B pressed.

"Absolutely." A affirmed.

"Hey, what's that?" B asked, pointing to a ball of orange light drifting lazily over their heads.

"That's a firefly." A said like the world's expert on fireflies.

"Huh" B grunted, "It's big, isn't it?"

"Maybe it ate a lot of food." A retorted.

The orange light floated easily down to the middle of the camp… …Where it exploded with a flash of white light, a wave of scorching heat, and a primal roar.

"Wow!" B exclaimed, "I didn't know fireflies did that!"

A stared at the flaming camp with a look of dismay. Then he turned to look out at the peaceful, summer night.

"Y'know" A smiled, "Nights like this that make me want to go home and get married."

B looked at the other and then down at the chaos in the camp. He saw a girl with fiery hair, small breasts, and blood red eyes. B saw Lina Inverse. B panicked.

She wasn't supposed to exist, his buddy said so! Since she wasn't real, she must be a dream; a very bad dream… a Nightmare even.

"Going home sounds good." B agreed quickly.

The two lucky sentries fled eagerly into the gentle night.

……………………

"Fireball!" Lina shouted, tossing a globe of burning light towards one group of bandits. "Fireball!" She repeated, throwing another at a cluster of buildings. "Fireball!" Lina continued, flinging the glowing orb to her left. "Fireball!" She added, hurling her seventeenth fireball that night. "Fireball!" She chanted.

'_Wow,'_ Lina laughed to herself, _'I'm lobbing these around like they're going out of fashion!'_ She fried a few more bandits before dashing off to the treasure trove. _'Gourry can fend for himself'_ she decided. _'And I'm safer staying out of Gaav's reach.'_ She looked over, just to verify her theory.

Gourry was doing his best to disarm the bandits that came at him or, if they were exceptionally persistent, to relieve them of their dignity/clothing. The man might not win any awards for his mental prowess, but he knew that killing the bandits wouldn't do a thing for the world. Gourry was very merciful; it was one of the things Lina liked about him.

Gaav, on the other hand, was wading into the mob of bandits with his fists swinging; "Come on you maggots! If you want to live, you must fight and win!" Gaav cackled, "Is this the best you can do? I don't even have to use my sword! Try to stand up in the face of overwhelming power; it will make things more amusing for me!"

Lina rolled her eyes, _'What a battle geek.'_ She thought as she ducked a flying bandit, _'Good thing all Mazoku aren't like that; I can't imagine Xelloss acting like… like…' _Lina dissolved into giggles for a minute as she imagined Xelloss acting like Gaav. Then she stood up and slapped herself across the face to focus. _'While they're all busy fighting, I am obligated to find a suitable home for some treasure._'

……………………

Not so far away from where Lina was appropriating treasure, there was a different bandit gang suffering from attack. Unlike the group Lina attacked, this other group had yet to suffer frying; at the moment, someone was trying to talk them into changing their sinful ways.

…Although, thanks to the evil-doer's attitudes, frying seemed like it was forthcoming.

"Abandon now your evil ways, and the light of Heaven shall cleanse your tainted souls!" The silhouette in front of the crescent moon intoned, "You, who have conspired to steal the sustenance of the peoples, who have plotted to shatter the peace of the nation, who have longed to break the love of Justice within the bosom of the populace, and you who have hoarded the money of the poor; if you turn back to the path of righteousness, then all your foul deeds shall be forgotten and your immortal souls shall no longer be shackled in the grime of evil! I implore you, return that which is not yours and dedicate yourselves, body and mind, to the cause of Love, Truth, and Holy Justice!" She leapt from her perch on top of a tree, flipped several times, and landed on her knees with a loud crack.

All the bandits winced.

Then she hopped to her feet and continued, "Shake off the chains of wrongdoing! There is no reason to bind your selves to misery and miserliness. But if you refuse to save yourselves, then I, Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun, shall be forced to smite you with the power of Pure Justice!"

"You little witch!" The boss of the group shouted as he unsheathed his sword, "How dare you talk like that to the Bad Guy Bandits? Get her, guys!"

The mob with soiled souls and unclean bodies surged forward with a guttural roar of agreement. They brandished swords and clubs and candlesticks as they bore down on the young lady.

She ran to meet them, her hands glowing with the white light of concentrated magical power. As they collided, she let forth a shout of righteous indignation.

Many bandits flew away. Those that didn't fly fled away.

The boss' jaw dropped to the ground in disbelief and he fell to his knees.

"Please, spare me! Have mercy! Have mercy!" He sobbed hysterically from the ground.

Zelgadis causally strolled out of the bandits' secret treasure hoard; he had just finished alphabetically organizing the loot and filching what he deemed most valuable. He wasn't surprised to see that Amelia had the boss on his knees, she was a fast worker.

"Are you almost done?" The chimera asked.

Amelia looked up and smiled. "Almost, this man is repenting his evil deeds right now! Did you find anything useful?"

"Perhaps" Zelgadis shrugged.

"H-hey!" The bandit boss stammered, "You were stealing our stuff? That's not fair!"

Amelia glared down at him, the lightning behind her crackled and the darkest of storm clouds hid the pale moon.

"It is no longer your stuff once you renounce your misguided ways." Amelia informed him, "You are, I hope, renouncing your misguided ways?"

"Right! I am not a bandit. I am not a bandit." The man babbled, "Actually, I really am not a bandit. I'm an actor, or at least I was."

Amelia nodded, "Acting is a noble profession!" She agreed.

"I used to be with the Rossburg Players." The former actor and former bandit admitted, "But one day, these three travelers stole our food and then the youngest of them stole my part!" He began to rant, as people are wont to do when they have an audience. "And that was the one year that the acting troop won the Mosquita festival! I was supposed to be the hero for the play 'Bring Us Justice and Peace: The Death of the Abominable Lina Inverse'; but that little witch stole my part!"

Amelia twitched.

Then she blasted the man and he soared across the sky, trailing flames the entire way.

"What was THAT for?" Zelgadis gasped. It was normal for Lina to blast people without reason, but Amelia generally had more self-control.

Amelia shrugged, "He called me a 'little witch'." She explained calmly, "Let's go, Mr. Zelgadis! There's a port town a little ways away!"

"Right…" Zelgadis mumbled.

……………………

Far away and a few hours after two bandit groups received their Just deserts, a third batch of bandits were busy threatening a carriage. The carriage had stopped for some reason, and the bandits had been quick to surround it.

"EEEEEK!" Martina screeched, as she pressed her daughter to her bosom. "Somebody save me!"

"Let go of me." The four year old Marinnie ordered, "I can't breathe!"

The leader of the motley group chuckled, "You oughta know better than to travel on the back roads, lady. That's like saying 'Come attack me please!'" The group of men laughed together. "Now, give us all your money and we'll let you live!"

'_Yuck.'_ Marinnie thought, _'Cliché bandit shtick. As if smelling like fetid pork fat wasn't bad enough, these dorks have the nerve to stand there and chatter away.'_ The little girl struggled in Martina's suffocating embrace. _'If only I had more power,'_ Marinnie grumbled, _'Then I wouldn't be in this stupid situation. I hate being at the mercy of these maggots. I wish I could snap my fingers and kill them all.'_

The entire time that Marinnie was thinking, Martina was still wailing for help and the bandits were still reciting their lines.

Suddenly, a lone figure appeared on the road!

The handsome man had his sword drawn and his hat rim obscured his eyes. His black hair fluttered around his tanned face and his cape billowed behind him.

'_Oh look,'_ the four year old princess thought sarcastically, _'Someone's back from taking a leak.'_

"That's far enough!" Zangulas bellowed. "If you start running now, I'll let you live! You'd better run fast!"

The bandits began to jeer, but Zangulas swung the Howling Sword and unleashed a wave of energy that scattered the brigands.

"Oh, dearest Zangulas!" Martina swooned, "You're my hero!"

"I'm sorry for allowing those fools to endanger you, Martina." Zangulas replied, kissing his wife. The king and queen of Xoana spent several minutes smooching loudly.

'_I HATE my life'_ their daughter pouted.

……………………

……………………

"Good morning!" Lina cheered as she kicked down Gourry's door.

"Wha-? Is it time for breakfast already?" The sleepy swordsman yelped as he fell out of his bed.

"Yeah, see you down there!" Lina shouted as she ran down the hallway.

The Lina colored blur reached terminal velocity as she dashed down eight flights of stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, she swung a sharp turn and cracked off the banister that she used as her fulcrum. She then weaved through the dining area fast enough to leave scorch marks on the floor.

Then Lina found a seat and she landed in it with perfect poise.

Gourry ambled down about a minute later and sat down next to her. Lina gave his hand a quick squeeze and they both blushed.

Gaav teleported into the third seat and called for a gallon of orange juice.

Breakfast followed the usual pattern of chaos.

At the end Gaav was missing a button off his coat and the table had several forks embedded in it. Gourry paid the bill and Lina handed the owner a few gems to help him forget the trouble.

The three left the inn and wandered down the street. Lina talked about selling some of her loot, Gourry played with the bobble-head octopus Lina had given him, and Gaav focused his energy on conjuring a new button.

"Hi, Amelia! Hi, Zel!" Gourry greeted the two people walking in the other direction.

"Hello, Mr. Gourry." Amelia waved back absentmindedly. Then the princess and the chimera went back to discussing a book they were reading together.

Lina walked a few more blocks and then she came to a dead stop. Both Gaav and Gourry looked down at her. Lina suddenly spun around with a shout and began to run in the opposite direction.

"HEY!" The sorceress hollered as she barreled down the road and waved her arms wildly, "HEY! Amelia! Zel! It's me! HEY!"

……………………

Five blocks away, Amelia shivered.

"What's wrong?" Zelgadis asked.

"Oh, I'm sure it's nothing…" Amelia muttered.

……………………

A Golden smile graced the unknown. A Golden hand plucked an apple. Golden eyes observed the curvature of the fruit and the shadows cast by the Golden light. The apple was considered for an eternal minute and then The Golden One bit into it.

There are some things that are known and there are some things that must be learned.

……………………

**Author's Note to the Friendly Reader:** Thank you for reading, thank you for being so kind to me. Please forgive my poor attempts at literary allusions and specific episode referencing. I hope to see you again.

By the way, do you like Marinnie?


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction.

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_Dramatic Entrances are Overrated._

……

"Hi there," Lina grinned at the two people sprawled on the ground. "It's been a while hasn't it, Amelia? Zel?"

"Get off of my back." Zelgadis snapped from below Lina's right knee.

"Isn't it cool that we just ran into each other?" Lina continued; ignoring the chimera's irritated order.

"We didn't run into each other," Zelgadis replied as he rolled his eyes. "You ran off the roof of a building and kicked us over."

Lina laughed, "That's one way to look at things! But you guys weren't stopping, so I had to resort to drastic measures to get your attention!" She stood up and brushed herself off and helped Amelia up. "What are you doing here, Amelia?" Lina asked the younger woman, "Are you on some sort of diplomatic journey for Seyruun?"

"Oh…it isn't exactly a diplomatic journey," Amelia mumbled. "I left Seyruun in secret…" Amelia trailed off and busied herself with fiddling with a loose thread on her cape.

"So what are you doing?" Lina pressed.

"We're spreading Justice." Zelgadis said as he picked up the book that he and Amelia had been perusing before Lina had attacked them. "What are you doing here, Lina?"

"I was headed to Seyruun to say hi to Amelia, get some soft-serve ice cream, and to show off my new pet," Lina answered blandly. Inwardly she was laughing, _'Zelgadis is spreading Justice? Zelgadis is spreading Justice? That's even funnier than having a Mazoku Lord as a pet!' _

"By the way," Amelia said, interrupting Lina's internal laughing fit, "Where's Mr. Gourry? I thought I walked past him earlier."

Lina glanced around for her blonde companion. There were a few blondes standing in the circle around Lina, but Gourry wasn't among them. Apparently she had lost both Gourry and Gaav during her pursuit of Amelia and Zelgadis. Oops.

"I think I left him behind." Lina observed cheerfully, "My bad."

Amelia and Zelgadis both stiffened at the cheeriness in Lina's voice. Sometimes a cheery Lina was more terrifying than a furious Lina…

"Look out!" Zelgadis yelled to the nearby citizens as pushed Amelia behind him, "Lina's dangerous!"

"FLARE…" Lina began as she gathered power in her hand.

"Ms. Lina!" Amelia shouted, "Please stop! I'm sure we can find Mr. Gourry using less extreme methods!"

"…ARROW!" Lina finished as she tossed the spell at the ground. The result was a small explosion… by Lina's standards.

"Geez, guys" Lina smirked at her friends, "Don't worry so much. I know better than to use destructive spells in the middle of a town. I'm just giving Gourry a point to come to."

"You may say that, Ms. Lina…" Amelia started delicately.

"…But you have a bad habit of destroying towns with magic." Zelgadis completed bluntly.

Lina twitched. _'What's that supposed to mean? What towns are they talking about? It's always for a good reason!'_ she pouted.

"Hey!" Gourry called, saving the sorceress from making excuses. "Man, I can't believe how fast you can run, Lina!" He smiled and patted Lina on the head. Then he turned his smile towards Amelia and Zelgadis. "Hi Zel, hi Amelia; it's been a while!"

"Hello, Mr. Gourry." Amelia greeted.

"I see you haven't changed either, Gourry." Zelgadis chuckled. Gourry laughed along.

"Do you like to resort to destruction to get people's attention, Lina?" Gaav asked as he observed the sizable hole that Lina's flare arrow had left in the road. "Or are you just addicted to causing trouble?"

Amelia and Zelgadis looked at the Mazoku Lord with wide eyes; they knew who he was immediately. There was no mistaking that trench coat or those eyebrows.

"The Devil Dragon King Gaav!" Amelia yelped, pointing a finger at the tall Mazoku. "What's he doing here?"

"Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Zelgadis demanded, drawing his sword with a smooth movement.

"Oh, Gaav?" Lina giggled, "He's my pet. The Lord of Nightmares said so." Then she fell over laughing at the look on both Zelgadis' face and Amelia's face.

"I think," Zelgadis proclaimed wisely, "I think we ought to sit down somewhere and have Lina explain everything."

……………………

"…and even though I'd rather have a puppy, I kindly agreed to take care of my new pet." Lina concluded, after spending two hours describing her adventures to the princess and the chimera.

"Oh." Zelgadis replied, sipping his third cup of coffee. _'Thank goodness we decided to sit down in a coffee shop; I don't think I would've lasted through her entire speech without caffeine.'_

"How wonderful," Amelia sighed with stars in her eyes. "I'm sure Mr. Gaav will see the error in his ways and strive to become a better person!"

"Whatever." Gaav grunted, too absorbed in cutting his fingernails with his sharp, new sword to pay attention to the humans and their little conversations.

Gourry glanced out of the window. "Hey," he said, poking Lina. "Something's going on outside."

Lina, Amelia, and Zelgadis craned their necks, twisted their torsos, and contorted various other body parts in an effort to see out the single, dirty window.

"Wait… isn't that Prince Christopher?" Lina wondered aloud as she stared at the slender, impeccably groomed man stepping out of a carriage parked outside of the coffee shop.

"It is." Zelgadis confirmed before finishing his coffee.

After getting a good look at her uncle, Amelia quietly slid out of her seat and under the table.

"What are you doing, Justice Girl?" Gaav asked, finally paying attention to what the humans were doing.

"I am slipping out of sight." Amelia replied primly from underneath the tablecloth. "If Uncle Chris comes in, please don't tell him I'm here. I cannot, I must not go back to Seyruun yet. My Justice Sense tells me that something big is going to happen around Ms. Lina and it is my duty to be there to help her."

'_Justice Sense?'_ Gaav echoed in his mind, _'What the Hell is that?'_

The Second Prince of Seyruun entered the coffee shop gracefully; unlike his older brother, Christopher acted like royalty. His dark azure eyes scanned the patrons, the majority of which were staring back at him with unconcealed awe. Finally his gaze rested on Lina Inverse and the three other people sitting at her table. With swift strides, Christopher walked over to Lina's table and sat down in Amelia's chair.

"Hello Ms. Lina, Mr. Gourry, Mr. Zelgadis." Christopher greeted civilly. He extended his hand towards Gaav, "I am Christopher Ul Brozz Seyruun. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance Sir…?"

"Gaav," Gaav grunted, ignoring the Prince's hand.

"It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance Sir Gaav," Christopher said with smooth diplomacy. Then he did a rather un-princely act: he bent down, lifted the edge of the white tablecloth, and looked under the table. "And hello to you too, little princess." Christopher said to his niece, "You don't need to hide under the table, it's not like I could drag you back to Seyruun."

Amelia laughed sheepishly and crawled out from under the table. "Um… if you aren't here to take me back to Seyruun, then why are you here, Uncle Chris?" the princess inquired.

"Actually, I came to take you back to Seyruun." Christopher informed her, "But now that I'm here, I realize that I can't force you to do anything. Also, since I see that you are in the company of Ms. Inverse, I must conclude that something big is going to happen in which you must play a part. Justice Sense and all that."

Amelia beamed at her uncle while everyone else at the table decided that the entire royal family of Seyruun was utterly loony.

"Thank you, Uncle Chris! I'm so glad you understand!" Amelia said gratefully.

"I just want you to take care of yourself, Amelia." Christopher said, "I, I am ashamed to say this, but I sent two people after you. Please don't allow them to harm you."

"Don't worry, I'm sure that I can talk to them and we can reach a satisfying agreement!" Amelia assured.

"Uh, I don't want to interrupt," Lina interrupted, "But would those two people be mages?"

"Yes." Christopher answered.

"Would they both have dark hair?" Gourry asked.

"Yes." Christopher answered.

"Would they both be wearing white robes with the Seyruun crest?" Zelgadis inquired.

"Yes." Christopher answered.

"Would that be them?" Lina asked, pointing at the two people standing outside the window.

Christopher nodded, "Yes, that's Gosencrantz and Ruildenstern. They're my new court mages. I had asked them to find Amelia."

Gaav gagged on his tea and began to cough. Lina and Gourry looked over at the Mazoku Lord with matching quizzical expressions.

"I thought their names were Rosenstern and Guildencrantz." Amelia murmured to her uncle, "At least, I think that's what they said when I had them help me with my paperwork…"

"You wouldn't, by any chance, mean Rosencrantz and Guildenstern?" Gaav snapped at the two members of the Seyruun royal family.

They considered the Mazoku Lord's query for a moment before nodding and agreeing heartily.

"You know them?" Gourry asked.

"I know them, they're Mazoku." Gaav responded smugly, "They're two of my minions." _'How the hell did those two survive while Valgaav didn't?'_ he wondered to himself.

"It's a real parade of people today." Lina observed sarcastically. "Is it 'Plot Development Day' or is this just a popular place to get caffeine?"

As she spoke, the doorknob turned and then the oaken door swung inwards. The two demonic mages strolled over the threshold dramatically. His long, glossy, black hair fluttered around his pale face and soft music drifted into the air around him. Her robes billowed gracefully around her short frame and her glasses reflected the light away from her eyes.

They marched in synchrony over to the coffee shop counter where the shorter of the two ordered two grande-soy-mocha-latte-double-chocolate-double-espressos while other fiddled with a small white rectangle that was attached to his ears by a thin cord.

The pair of Mazoku paid for their coffees and walked right past Lina's table. They found a booth on the other side of the store and, after wiping off the chairs; they sat down in unison and began to sip their identical drinks.

Lina blinked.

"That was a waste of a dramatic entrance." She stated.

"Maybe they didn't notice us." Gourry suggested helpfully.

"As if!" Lina snapped, smacking the blonde with her fuzzy, blue, jellyfish slipper.

"Maybe they wanted to get something to drink before talking to us." Amelia chirped.

"I doubt it…" Lina frowned as she tucked her slipper away.

"I know she likes chocolate and he's lactose intolerant… or the other way around" Christopher added in pointlessly.

Lina didn't dignify that with a response.

"Maybe they're waiting for us to relax our guard before they grab Amelia." Zelgadis put forward as he shifted his weight and picked up his sword.

"Probably…" Lina agreed.

"They didn't notice us." Gaav announced confidently, "They're kinda stupid that way."

"I knew it!" Gourry cheered.

"Oh, Lina," The Devil Dragon King smirked. "Let me show you how to get someone's attention without destroying anything."

Lina shot a disgruntled glare at the guffawing demon. _'Why does everyone pick on me? It's not my fault that things get blown up around me!'_

"Hey, Ros and Guil!" The Devil Dragon bellowed across the coffee shop, eliciting irritated glares from the caffeine addicts who populated the place.

The two turned together, caught sight of the Mazoku Lord at the same instant, disappeared in unison, reappeared in synchrony, set their identical drinks down simultaneously, dropped into duplicate bows with extremely precise timing, and greeted him with a single voice.

"Wow," Lina remarked, "That's a little creepy."

"What is?" Zelgadis asked. "The fact that he didn't blow anything up or the fact that they're totally synchronized?"

'_Everyone is picking on me! Poor me! The world is so mean!'_ Lina sulked wordlessly.

"The synchrony." Lina replied glumly.

"What's up?" Gaav asked his minions.

"My lord, we were sent off." They announced like a Greek chorus.

"What for?" Gaav prompted.

"A princess. We've been sent to look for her." The pair sighed together.

"How's it going?" Lina asked with mock concern.

"Wretched. We can't find her anywhere." They complained as one.

"Why are you looking for her?" Gourry asked with genuine interest.

"Apparently she ran away. We don't know the details, but we're guessing that she's gone to her lover. If that's the case, then her lover absolutely must come from a family that her family has a long-standing feud with; the course of true love shouldn't run smooth. Running away from home is better than faking death or committing suicide; but it's still inconvenient. We just don't know where she is."

"Where have you looked?" Zelgadis joined in.

Gaav glanced at the humans, surprised. They were making a game out of interrogating HIS minions! He opened his mouth to protest and then he thought for a second. The Devil Dragon King closed his mouth and leaned back in his chair. If the humans wanted to talk, then he would let them talk until more than one of them was blue in the face.

"Over the hills and in the dales" The taller of the two reported mildly.

"We've clambered through bushes and briars." The shorter piped in.

"Around some parks and about a few pales" The calm one continued.

"We even braved a flood and four fires." The other informed the world dramatically.

"Huh, you've really looked everywhere." Amelia said sympathetically, forgetting that they were looking for her.

They nodded, grateful for her kind understanding.

Then they scrutinized the princess' face. The two minions yelped, pointed at Amelia, and announced to the Mazoku Lord: "Look, it's the PRINCESS!"

"No, really?" Gaav replied sardonically.

They nodded, and then turned to back to Amelia.

"Ma'am, your uncle sent us to take you back to Seyruun." The shorter said.

"Uncle Christopher is right there." Amelia pointed out as she pointed at her uncle.

They followed her finger and saw the Second Prince of Seyruun. They yelped, pointed at Christopher, and announced to the Mazoku Lord: "Look, it's the guy who sent us to look for the princess!"

"No, really?" Gaav replied sarcastically, _'I wish knew how these two managed to survive, the only thing they're proficient at is paperwork and wordplay.'_

They nodded, and turned to face Christopher.

"Sir, we found your niece. She's about three feet away from you." The shorter one said.

"Thank you." Christopher stated.

"Shall we escort her back to Seyruun?" The taller of the two minions said.

"No, I want you to act as her bodyguards." Christopher decided in a split-second of odd inspiration.

"Hold on." Gaav protested, _'If those two act as Justice Girl's bodyguards, that means that they'll be travelling with me. If they're travelling with me, then I'm going to have to be responsible for them. If I'm responsible for them, then I'll have to intervene when they annoy Lina. I don't want to mess with an aggravated Lina, I wanna stay alive this time.'_ "I want you two to go back to Seyruun and write a best-selling series of novels about a young wizard going to school or something." Gaav ordered.

Lina's eyes narrowed as she stared at Gaav's back. _'I'm betting that he doesn't like them.'_ She thought mischievously, _'Which means that if they come along, I won't have any problems with his bad attitude because he'll be too distracted by them.'_

"I think Christopher's idea is a great idea!" Lina declared wickedly, "Since Gaav is my pet, then my decisions trump his orders. Rosen-something, Guild-something, you two can come along."

Gaav fell out of his chair.

"Lina, is this a good idea?" Zelgadis questioned, "Do you really want three Mazoku, four if Xelloss shows up, around you?"

"My woman's intuition tells me that it'll be fine!" Lina chortled triumphantly.

"I'm sure that we can convince them to become good Mazoku!" Amelia proclaimed enthusiastically.

"They don't seem like bad people, so I think it'll work out." Gourry chimed in.

"… right…" Zelgadis mumbled under the onslaught of optimistic opinions.

"You're so kind!" The shorter of the minions wept happily.

"You're plotting!" The taller minion said.

'_I'm doomed to deal with an angry Lina sometime soon'_ Gaav moaned.

"Well, I ought to get back to Seyruun." Christopher announced, politely extracting himself from the situation.

"Right, take care." Lina replied.

"Farewell, I'll get you a souvenir!" Amelia said.

Christopher waved to them, left the coffee shop, climbed majestically into his personal carriage, and headed towards Seyruun.

Lina hopped onto the table and brandished a croissant she had been gnawing on.

"Let's go!" She declared to the six other people, "Endless adventure awaits us upon the winding road!"

"Well then hurry up and leave!" A peeved patron shouted at the group, "It's hard to concentrate on writing a best-selling novel while people are shouting and dancing on tables."

Lina climbed off the table and stuck her tongue out at the whiny caffeine addict who was scribbling on numerous paper napkins.

"Stupid aspiring writer," Lina complained, "He ought to write about me instead of shouting at me."

……………………

It had been a long week for Filia Ul Copt and her helpers and family. But they had finally cleaned every corner and gotten everything moved into the house. Grabos had headed over to the old house to make sure the new owners were settling in nicely as soon as Filia's furniture was inside the house and the others had toiled away setting up. No one had seen any ghostly activity.

That morning Filia and Jiras' wife, Jill, had gone shopping at the open-air farmers' market. Lunch was going to be the first homemade meal that the dragon maiden made in her new kitchen. Filia was overjoyed at the idea of being able to stay home and eat her own cooking, she was sick of going down the street to eat at the medieval equivalent of a McDonald's.

On the other hand, Filia was very nervous. Xelloss had said he would return, and she didn't know how her uncle would react.

At the moment, Milgasia was attempting to teach Val how to play chess. Val didn't seem to understand why he couldn't take a pawn and use the piece to sweep the entire board clean. The young Ancient Dragon insisted that a single pawn could beat everything else in the real world.

"That isn't allowed, Young Val." Milgasia reprimanded as the small dragon boy pretended to have his pawn cast a Dragon Slave spell to wipe out the other side's pawns.

"But this really happens!" Val retorted, making the pawn attack all of the other pieces on his side with a chessman-sized slipper. "Humans aren't as strong as Mazoku or Dragons, but they can win."

Milgasia sighed and rubbed his temples, what was wrong with the youth of today?

"Why don't I tell you a story instead?" The older Golden Dragon offered; catching the black bishop that Val's white pawn had smacked off of the board.

"Fine. Tell me about Ancient Dragons." The child ordered, "Filia doesn't know much, but you're an old man so you should know a lot, right?"

Milgasia gazed at the boy's bent head and aqua-green hair. Val was so young, so precocious, and so restless. Maybe a long story would help the child settle down.

"Very well." Milgasia relented. "But try to sit still and listen."

In the kitchen, Filia bit her lip. She didn't know much about Ancient Dragons, but she didn't want Val to learn all sorts of sorrows so soon. But her uncle was intent on telling a story.

"As far as the Golden Dragon tribe was concerned, it was the best of times and it was the worst of times," Milgasia began in a solemn drone.

And he droned on and on and on and on and on and on, until Val was certain that his brains would slither out of his ears to escape the monotone delivery of the sorrowful story.

Finally, after an hour of Milgasia's bland recitation of events, Milgasia turned a stern eye to the dozing Ancient Dragon.

"Do you understand, Young Val?" He asked.

'_I understand several things.'_ Valgaav retorted mockingly, _'First, don't get a geezer started unless you have earplugs and a comfortable pillow. Second, a committee of several hundred Golden Dragons can decide to go to war faster than two Seyruun politicians can start to argue over a randomly picked issue. Lastly, I understand that it is lunchtime.'_

Aloud, Val said, "I don't think I understand that much, I'm too young."

"I'm done making lunch!" Filia called from the kitchen, effectively halting Milgasia's lecture on the moral of the story and how youth is wasted on the young.

"Oh good, I'm glad!" Val replied too enthusiastically.

Milgasia shook his head and grumbled a bit about the short attention spans of children before following Val into the dining room.

As soon as he saw the table, Milgasia knew that something was dreadfully wrong.

"Filia," he called, "You set out too many place settings. Until Mr. Grabos returns, you only need to set out six place settings."

Filia frowned at the extra chair as she set the angel hair pasta down next to the olive oil, seafood, and garlic sauce. The chair didn't match the set that she owned. The place mat had a pattern that clashed with everything in the room and none of the dishes belonged to her. The teacup was purple and a ceramic frog formed the handle.

"Maybe a ghost wants to sit there." Val suggested calmly as he pulled up the chair next to the clashing place setting.

"Not a ghost," Filia sighed, "A Mazoku. I think Xelloss decided to invite himself to lunch."

Milgasia looked at his niece, alarmed.

"Xelloss? You know him?" The older dragon gasped.

Filia focused on forming a 'V' with her two pointer fingers and didn't answer his question.

"Mr. Xelloss used to travel with Filia." Val explained as though Milgasia was a child, "Usually he shows up to bother her because he says she's tasty and her tea is even tastier. They tolerate each other, especially during tea time."

Milgasia frowned, obviously troubled.

"It's rare for a Mazoku to develop any sort of attachment to anyone other than their masters." He informed Filia. "And rarer still for one to come over for tea."

Filia rolled her eyes, "Don't worry, he just enjoys provoking me and taking my tea. Nothing else."

"Well… if you say so…" Milgasia replied, thoroughly unconvinced.

"There is something more." A disembodied voice said. "I admire the destruction she is capable of and her skill with the pottery wheel and the kiln. I like her attitude and she is capable of intelligent conversation when she isn't screaming her head off. But it is true, she makes a wonderful cup of tea and a delicious amount of anger." Xelloss smiled, stealing some of her tea and drinking it out of his ridiculous frog-handled cup.

"Xelloss." Milgasia said.

"Yes, Mr. Milgasia?" Xelloss continued to smile.

Milgasia looked at his niece and then at the demon who had slaughtered numerous Golden Dragons. He sighed.

Then he dropped to his knees and bowed formally to the extremely startled Mazoku.

"Xelloss. Take good care of my niece." Milgasia requested.

Xelloss' amethyst shard eyes were wide enough to fall out and Filia looked about ready to faint. Val calmly twirled his pasta on his fork and ignored the idiotic adults.

Milgasia stood up, brushed off his robe, and sat down.

"I was just kidding." Milgasia notified them as he piled pasta onto his plate. "You both need to lighten up."

Val rolled his amber eyes, _'If I grow up twisted, I'm blaming my home environment.'_

……………………

Sylphiel puttered around her house a final time.

She had packed some spare clothes, cleaned her house, asked a neighbor to take care of her garden, and she was ready to leave.

She checked her locket for the fifth time in seven minutes, just to be sure that the seed was still there.

"I have to go." The shrine maiden whispered to the lonely house. "I must find Ms. Lina and dear Gourry, I'm sure it's to save the world." The house was too spacious and too quiet, but Sylphiel didn't want to leave. "I'll be back" she promised the rafters and the rooms, "I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back. I'll be back." She whispered to herself. "I'll be back," she promised the flowers next to the front door.

She locked the door behind her, checked on the seed, and prayed to Flagoon that she would live long enough to return.

Sylphiel faced the open road and willed her self to be strong. She took one step, and then another, and a third. She counted her steps until she reached the first crossroad.

Sylphiel was five thousand and forty steps closer to Seyruun.

……………………

**Author's Note to the Indulgent Reader:** Thank you for reading, I apologize for the delay. I'm sorry that Milgasia is out of character, and I hope the literary allusions weren't too awful.

**FYI:** Rosencrantz and Guildenstern aren't the same as Shakespeare's or Tom Stoppard's, but there are some similarities and shared lines. They will make allusions to Shakespeare's works and they might start referencing anime and pop culture.

Oh, did you notice that Guildenstern has an I-pod?


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction.

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_A Midsummer Day_

……

Green is a special color. It is the color of nature and life, of youth and growth.

When the cold shroud of winter snow vanishes, when the birds return from warmer climates, and when children frolic in the mud puddles; the tender shoots of green peak out from the land and the trees, and it is spring. Green is the color of spring.

Green is the color of other things. It is the color of jealously and illness, greed and money. There are many things that are green.

One of the many 'green things' in the world is an assistant in the 'Vases and Maces' shop; his name is Grabos.

……………………

Grabos lumbered along the backcountry road, swinging his walking stick like a baton. After he had moved the furniture into the new house, Filia had asked him to go back to the old house and see if the new family needed help setting up. Grabos, being a loyal fellow, immediately agreed to go back to the lands outside of the barrier to help out a family of former alpaca farmers.

Unfortunately, traveling between the two houses took several uneventful days.

"Sure is a nice day out" Grabos remarked to the empty road as he surveyed the lush summer forest and the painfully cloudless sky. "Too bad Jiras is busy with his family and helping Lady Filia to come with me. Too bad Master Val is too young to travel. It just doesn't seem right to have a day this nice and no one to talk to."

Grabos was getting bored without anything but the natural forest sounds to listen too. Sure he liked the sound of his own voice, but he couldn't think of anything interesting to say.

"I sure wish something interesting would happen." Grabos confided in the shrubbery that lined the road. "If bandits attacked me I could beat them up and tell Master Val all about it." He glanced around stealthily, in case the bushes decided to spit a few brigands out for him.

No such luck.

When you're about seven feet tall and all green, not many bandits want to mess with you.

To the average bandit, Grabos looked too intimidating (although he had gained a fair amount of weight around his middle after Valgaav had died). Not only was he tall and bulky, he was green. Green looked contagious to the uneducated.

"Geez, is it too much to ask for something to do?" Grabos complained, using his walking stick to smack a rock into the air.

He watched the stone fly further down the road with his good eye. That was kind of fun…

Grabos chased after the rock as gracefully as a drunken hippopotamus that needed hip surgery. _'I'm gonna smack that sucker into a hole in under three tries'_ Grabos resolved.

He found his rock and then he spent a few moments looking for a good hole. After marking the spot with a branch, he practiced swinging at the rock. He managed to roll it into the hole after five tries.

"Yes!" He cheered with a slight shake of his rear and a wave of his arms. Polite applause broke out from behind him and Grabos nearly jumped out of his green skin.

He turned around and saw five people clapping. There were two other people on the road, but they were more interested in an angry ground squirrel than watching Grabos swat a rock into a hole. Grabos was pretty sure he recognized all of the people.

"Hi there" he greeted the short woman with orange hair and a cocky smirk. He nodded an additional greeting at her companions; the blue, rock encrusted fellow stared back impassively, the princess gave a vague mumble of a reply, the tall man with the lion's mane of crimson hair nodded back, and the blonde swordsman waved with a blissfully ignorant expression on his face.

"What are you doing so far away from Filia's place?" Lina inquired, "Are you running away from home?" She suggested with insincere sweetness dripping from her voice.

"No way!" Grabos denied with a snort, "Lady Filia asked me to go back to the old house to help the new owners."

Lina frowned as she processed what she had just heard. In five seconds, she was a towering pillar of furious fire.

"FILIA MOVED AND SHE DIDN'T TELL ME?" Lina's roar echoed across the forest and gave more than one woodland creature a heart attack.

"She… she was gonna send letters to Seyruun…" Grabos squeaked, "And she didn't know where you were…"

Lina's angry aura continued to envelop her.

"Do you smell smoke?" Gourry asked Zelgadis.

The chimera sniffed. "Yes, I do believe something is burning." He observed dryly.

"Shouldn't we stop her?" Amelia worried, "I feel sorry for the sweet little woodland creatures…"

Lightning crackled across the blood red sky and the screams of the damned swirled all around them. Lina was preparing to Dragon Slave Grabos back into orbit when two voices sliced through the atmosphere of terror.

"Look, Lord Gaav!" Rosencrantz and Guildenstern shouted, apparently bored with the angry ground squirrel. "It's Yoda on steroids!"

Lina's spell fizzled out and her aura died away. She looked around at the two Mazoku minions with an expression of confusion.

"Oops, my bad." The male, Guildenstern if Lina remembered correctly, sighed dismissively.

"It's just Grabos." The female, Rosencrantz, added sheepishly.

They waved together at the green guy with identical grins. "Hi Grabos!"

"Hi…" Grabos mumbled back.

"You were talking about Ophelia, right? Did she get to a nunnery?" They prompted in unison.

"Her name is Filia." Lina corrected, "No 'O'."

"Oh." They said in simultaneous understanding.

Lina twitched violently and her knuckles made a cracking sound. Gaav's minions hadn't bugged her too much before, but that was because she hadn't talked to them very much.

"Um, we just moved to the town of Ubiety." Grabos yelped quickly as tendrils of Lina's irritation began to manifest a second time.

"Alright! I know where that is." Lina smiled, her mood changing faster than she swallowed a mouthful of food. "Where in Ubiety?"

Grabos scratched his head, glad that the sorceress was no longer furious. "I don't remember exactly, but I think the sign looked something like this…" He used his walking stick to draw in the dust.

"The square root of negative two?" Zelgadis read. He shook his head, "I don't think that's a real street."

"It could all be imaginary. I'm not that good at numbers," Grabos admitted rationally. "But we're definitely in Ubiety."

"Great, let's go see Filia!" Lina decided brightly.

"Has hunting bandits gotten old after three days straight?" Gaav asked with a slight sneer, "Or is this lady a really good cook?"

"Shut it" Lina growled at the Devil Dragon King. "Come on, what're you guys waiting for?" She asked the rest of her merry band of travelers.

"Seeya." Grabos said as Lina attempted to drag her companions off to Ubiety. _'Here is the champion,'_ he thought as he adjusted his bulk and prepared to roll another rock into the irritated ground squirrel's home, _'He's preparing his shot…'_

……………………

The palace of Seyruun is far grander than the castle of Xoana. This is partially due to the original architects, partially due to the prosperity of the kingdoms, and mostly due to the so called 'Lina Inverse Factor'.

The castle of Xoana has never been the same since it took a direct hit from a Dragon Slave.

In general, the citizens of Xoana curse Lina Inverse's name. Whether or not the berserk golem was on a path to destroy them, it was her spell that turned most of the kingdom into a smoking crater.

"Curse that Lina Inverse…" Martina whispered automatically as she gazed around the immense Seyruun palace courtyard. "I can't believe how big Seyruun is! Why can't Xoana be this big?" She complained to her husband and daughter.

"It's Lina Inverse's fault!" Zangulas replied loyally.

'_Because more people want to live in a kingdom dedicated to white magic and pacifism than a kingdom ruled by a nutcase who worships an imaginary monster'_ Marinnie thought logically.

"Curse that Lina Inverse!" Marinnie's parents shouted, shaking their fists at the sky.

"Excuse me…" a common soldier interrupted, "You can't come to the palace right now. Unless you have an appointment, you cannot interrupt the royal breakfast."

Martina glowered at the protocol bound guard as she pulled herself to her full height and tossed her head arrogantly.

"I am Martina Xoana Mel Navrachoa, the Queen of Xoana. I am here to talk to the Princess Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun about the peace treaty between our kingdoms." Martina explained. "Now let me in or the curse of the Monstrous Zoamelgustar shall rain down upon your head, lowlife!"

Thomas the soldier twitched.

He wasn't going to tolerate a bikini-clad, oyster-brandishing, arrogant woman calling him a lowlife. She looked suspicious. What kind of Queen cursed people?

"I can't allow you to enter," Thomas snarled menacingly. "We don't let monster worshippers or demons into our palace."

Zangulas swiftly drew the Howling Sword and pressed the razor sharp tip against Thomas' unprotected neck. He growled slightly at the soldier and a thin line of red appeared.

'_Ooh! Fight! Fight! Fight!'_ Marinnie cheered silently.

"U-unless you show identification, I can't let you enter." Thomas amended with a squeak. He realized with dismay that his armor was going to be rusty later on.

'_Aw man…'_ Marinnie pouted.

"Identification? I have identification! How does this work to prove that I am, indeed, the Queen of Xoana?" Martina proclaimed gleefully.

"A sardine?" Thomas wondered aloud, staring at the smiling fish that she had thrust into his face.

'_Yuck… who keeps something like that in their clothing?'_ Marinnie groaned, _'Oh yeah, Martina does!'_

"Dearest wife, that's not the royal crest." Zangulas pointed out.

"Oh, oops..." Martina mumbled, tossing the sardine over her shoulder.

'_Here comes the junk flood.'_ Marinnie sighed as Martina began to empty out the folds in her cape and dig through her knee high boots.

"Look! This fan has my face on it!" Martina shrilled.

"That could mean you're a narcissist." Thomas replied.

"WAAH! It's not here!" Martina sobbed from her mound of useless items.

"At least you found the toaster" Zangulas said, "And those old bounty pictures of Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis…"

"Life is so unfair to me!" Martina continued to wail. "Why is life so unfair to me?"

Marinnie patted her mother's shoulder. "There, there…" the four year old comforted, "I'm sure it's in the pile of stuff."

"Come on sweetie," Zangulas invited, "Let's look through this again."

Thomas sighed as the three people sifted through the mountain of junk that had been stored in Martina's tiny outfit. He shifted his weight; his armor was uncomfortably moist inside thanks to Zangulas.

Suddenly, Martina let out a wild cackle of glee. "I found it!" She shouted, shoving the crest at Thomas' nose. "Now let us in!"

"Right…" Thomas griped, walking gingerly away.

The soldier let the royal family of Xoana to the throne room before sneaking off to the men's room to change his armor. Martina and Zangulas meandered around the empty chamber, admiring the numerous tapestries, while Marinnie pulled out a puzzle, poured the pieces onto the cold stone floor, and began to assemble the picture.

"So, where is everyone?" Martina wondered, "Where's Amelia? Where's her father or her uncle?"

'_They're either running around the countryside preaching about Justice'_ Marinnie thought, _'or they're eating breakfast.'_

"They're probably running around the countryside in the name of Justice." Zangulas put forth.

Prince Christopher breezed into the throne room and stumbled over Marinnie's carefully constructed puzzle.

"I was working on that!" Marinnie complained, surveying the mess. "I was close to finishing."

"Ah, sorry…" Christopher apologized, picking up one of the pieces and examining it.

"Give it back. If I want to solve a puzzle, I have to have all of the pieces." Marinnie demanded with an outstretched hand. Christopher placed the piece into her small hand.

"Where is Amelia?" Martina demanded.

"Pardon?" Christopher replied. He had just returned to Seyruun and he hadn't expected to find himself mobbed by pushy people so soon.

"Where is Amelia?" Martina repeated.

"She's not here." Christopher replied evenly, "The last time I saw her, three days ago, she was traveling with Ms. Inverse. Is this urgent business?"

Martina considered for a second before shaking her head. "I wanted to talk to her about our peace treaty and old times." The Queen said, and for a brief moment her face looked more mature than usual.

Marinnie ran a hand through her dark green curls and focused her light green eyes on the puzzle in front of her as the adults conversed about the peace treaty and arrangements to stay in the palace for awhile.

'_I'm missing something.'_ Marinnie frowned as she pushed the pieces around, _'I'm sure I have all the pieces, but they just don't go together the way I want them to.'_

"Very well, until we learn where Amelia is headed, we will stay here." Martina agreed.

"Thank you for your understanding." Christopher replied formally, _'Why does she want to put up an inflatable oyster-monster in her room?'_ He wondered.

……………………

Lina Inverse was a capable young woman. She had killed more Mazoku and Dark Lords than the average sorcerer encountered in their lifetime. She had contacted the Clair Bible, she had survived a dip in the Sea of Chaos, and she still had a sense of humor.

Despite her many trials, Lina Inverse was not the sort of person who could deal with bad news in a mature fashion.

Lina Inverse threw a fit the moment she saw the ruins of the bridge to Ubiety. Apparently a storm had washed the bridge away.

"Isn't anyone planning to fix this bridge? Do they expect us to swim or something?" Lina demanded, stomping her feet. "The river isn't raging today!"

She pointed at the river to emphasize her point. The clear waters flowed past the sandy banks at a leisurely pace. The water burbled as it flowed over the stones on the river's bottom and various species of butterflies fluttered around the edge of the water. The trees that lined the river displayed their finest emerald foliage and wildflowers of all colors covered the ground around Lina and her company.

The river area was picturesque to say the least.

"Maybe there's a boat around here." Zelgadis suggested calmly as he backed out of Lina's reach.

"I'm not about to row a boat." Lina snapped back, waving her fists in the air.

"Well you either use a boat or you try to walk across." Gaav stated blandly, "It's a row versus wade situation, Lina."

Lina screamed and attacked him with a slipper.

"There's a canoe over there." Gourry said cheerfully, "And a bunch of inner tubes."

Lina smiled at her protector. "Good eye!" She complimented, giving his hand a quick squeeze.

"We could float down the river for a bit and then walk to Ubiety." Amelia agreed, "Floating down the river sounds like a fun, summery sort of thing to do."

"You expect me to sit down on an inflatable rubber donut and ride down the river?" Gaav asked incredulously, "Are you insane?"

"What? You'd rather paddle a canoe across the river?" Lina snapped.

As the two red heads began to bicker over the best way to cross a river, a grin slid across both Rosencrantz's and Guildenstern's face. Guildenstern pocketed the coin that they had been flipping for the better part of the day and they nodded at one another.

"Tubing or not Tubing; that is the question." She announced dramatically with a flourish of her arm.

"Whether 'tis nobler of the posterior to suffer the bumps and bruises from a thousand rocks" He continued solemnly, brushing back his perfect, black hair.

"Or to take oars against the river troubles, and by canoeing avoid them" They proceeded together, nodding at one another. "To float, to boat- What can be said? By a rowing we could lose heart disease risk and an inch or two that flesh will err to" The two Mazoku were smiling as cogs turned in their heads.

"Don't' continue." Gaav instructed them with a sigh.

They saluted at the same instant and Guildenstern drew a coin out of his expansive white sleeve. He returned to flipping the coin and Rosencrantz called heads every single time. She was right every single time.

"What was that all about?" Lina asked, gesturing at the Devil Dragon King's minions.

"Nothing" Gaav replied stubbornly. "They just like to be stupid sometimes."

"We still haven't decided how to cross the river." Zelgadis pointed out.

Gourry raised his hand. "Lina, I have a question." He stated.

"Is it about crossing the river?" The sorceress asked.

Gourry's blonde head nodded vigorously.

"Go ahead." Lina offered. Gourry smiled his big, friendly, clueless smile at her.

"Why don't we just fly?" The swordsman wondered, "We usually fly, don't we?"

Lina's reply consisted of several words that Gourry didn't know or approve of.

……………………

Martina sorted through the papers that someone had left on the desk while Zangulas lugged their luggage from their carriage up to their room. Marinnie occupied herself with building a house of cards.

"Y'know, you shouldn't go through someone's stuff without permission" Zangulas wheezed as he tugged Martina's fifth and final suitcase into the room. He dropped the suitcase onto the floor next to Marinnie's house of cards.

Marinnie frowned as her construction tumbled down.

"Shush, darling Zangulas." Martina replied, "I'm a Queen, I can do what I want to do."

"I know that, sweetie." Zangulas gasped, "But there's no reason to go through someone's private papers."

Marinnie tried to rebuild her card house without luck. The cards emblazoned with Prince Phil's face kept slipping from her small fingers.

"I'm searching for a clue to where Amelia might be going" Martina explained, kissing her husband several times. "I don't mind staying in Seyruun, but I want to find Lina."

"And I want to find Gourry." Zangulas mumbled as he melted from her kisses.

'_And I don't like this city'_ Marinnie added silently.

A white envelope floated gently through the air and alighted on Marinnie's failed house of cards. Marinnie saw a woman's name written on the front of the envelope in a flowing cursive hand. Underneath the name 'Filia', someone had stamped 'Personal Correspondence' in red ink. Marinnie considered the envelope briefly before breaking the wax seal apart and scanning the letter.

"Dear Ms. Amelia," Marinnie read, "I am pleased to inform you that I have moved to the town of Ubiety. My new shop and house is in the V-Z merchant block, the sign reads 'Vases and Maces'. I would be most pleased if you came over for tea someday. P.S. If you know where Ms. Lina is, can you pass the message on? Sincerely, Filia" Marinnie handed the letter to Martina.

"You've gotten very good at reading." Martina remarked, stroking her daughter's hair. "Good job, Marinnie. If we find this 'Filia', then we'll find Lina!"

"Right!" Zangulas agreed, then he looked at the pile of luggage he had just finished dragging up the stairs. "Do I have to take this back down?" He whined pointing at Martina's five suitcases, his own suitcases, and Marinnie's single bag.

"It'll be good for you, darling." Martina replied, kissing him again. Zangulas dutifully lifted the luggage and proceeded back to the carriage.

'_Wait'_ Marinnie reasoned, _'No one had read this letter, so Lina probably isn't headed in that direction.'_ Before the little girl could protest, Martina picked her up and gave her a piggy-back ride.

"Come on sweetie! We won't lose to Lina!" Martina declared.

'_Whatever.'_ Marinnie sighed, _'I may as well sit back and enjoy the ride.'_

……………………

In Ubiety, Filia ul Copt shivered.

"Is something wrong?" Milgasia asked her as he set his dishrag down, "Is it Xelloss or some other Mazoku?"

Filia shook her waterfall of golden hair. She stopped washing the dishes and closed her deep, sapphire eyes.

"It was just a feeling of impending doom." Filia replied wearily. "I felt as though several highly destructive forces were heading this way."

Milgasia's brow wrinkled in worry.

"I'm sure it's nothing." Filia assured him with a slight laugh. _'Maybe Ms. Lina got my message…'_

……………………

**Author's note to the Lovely Reader:** Thank you for reading; I hope that I haven't bored you too much. I know that my style tends to move slowly, but there is a final point that I am working towards. To those who reviewed, thank you so much! I ended up in tears of joy when I saw that my writing received such kind words. I'm sorry if this chapter isn't that good; I struggled with it too much.

By the way, if you want to read the entirety of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's bad 'To be or not To be' (Tubing or not Tubing) parody, please contact me.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_The Eyes are Windows to the Souls_

……

There were shadows in Sylphiel's dreams.

She saw a man wandering over a heavily wooded island. As she stared at the man, he smiled and a bluish haze materialized around his arm. Her dreaming mind stumbled away from the man as the hazy aura squirmed and flickered like the Demon Beast Zanaffar.

Sylphiel shuddered and clutched Flagoon's seed closer to her heart.

The dreaming shrine maiden ran away from the man and the creature that was struggling to gain a clear form. As she fled through the dream, she prayed for Flagoon to protect her from her sorrowful memories.

She stumbled out of the forest and into a giant room. There was already a woman in the room, and Sylphiel paused to admire the other. The mysterious woman had sleek, tan skin, hair like water under moonlight, and wildcat eyes.

Sylphiel backed away when she saw the woman's eyes. There was something inhuman about the woman's golden eyes, something ancient, feral, fierce, proud, malicious, and motherly. The woman feigned relaxation, but an unnatural eagerness glinted in her eyes.

She was waiting for entertainment.

The woman turned to stare directly as the shrine maiden and Sylphiel's emerald eyes met the other's cat eyes.

Sylphiel found her vision flying from the huntress' hungry eyes.

In her sleep, she whispered words of prayer.

In her dream she opened her eyes again.

She saw Lina, Amelia, Gourry, and Zelgadis.

The four were sitting on a sunny hillside surrounded by wildflowers. Amelia was wearing a crown of daisies and, much to his embarrassment; Zelgadis had daisies tied in his wiry hair. Lina was leaning on Gourry's shoulder, intensely studying a wildflower. Gourry was liberating dandelion seeds and watching the spores drift along the wind.

There were three other people nearby and Sylphiel assumed that they were traveling with Lina.

Two of the extra people wore soft, white robes that reminded Sylphiel of her father. The two people were laughing together as they threw paper airplanes at the enormous man with unruly red hair and a bright orange coat. The redhead sliced down every plane that threatened his person.

Sylphiel sighed, longing to be under the summer sky and laughing freely with Lina and the others.

"Dear Gourry," Sylphiel whispered, although she knew he couldn't hear her, "I know you're happy with Ms. Lina. I know it's the best thing in the world for you." She placed a hand over her aching heart, "But… but I still love you…"

She felt hot tears slide down her face, as painful in a dream as in the real world. Her dream self shook with sobs.

"I know he'll never love me," Sylphiel wept, "At least, not in the way I love him. I know I'm being selfish, but I don't want to stop loving him."

"So you love him, good for you" someone remarked, "But all your love is useless, those two belong together."

Sylphiel turned.

Someone had heard her; someone had spoken to her… but she was dreaming. As far as Sylphiel knew, she couldn't hear people while she dreamt and they weren't supposed to hear her.

The man with red hair had spoken to her. His deep blue eyes were staring down at her.

Something in his eyes reminded Sylphiel of the huntress on the island. He was proud, wild, and ferocious.

"Stop sniveling" he snapped at her, "So what if the guy doesn't love you? It's not like you're gonna die or something. You'll survive and find a new purpose. That's what humans do." The man ran a hand through his crimson mane.

"Who are you?" Sylphiel asked tentatively, "How can you see me? How can you hear me? How can you speak to me?"

"Doesn't matter" The man replied shortly, "There are more important things to worry about. Now get out of here."

And for the second time, Sylphiel felt herself flying away.

Tears trickled down her face as she slept. Her lips formed the shape of Gourry's name.

In her dreams, she saw four people sitting at a table drinking tea. There was a blonde priestess, a blonde priest, a priest with purple hair and black robes, and a child.

The child and the priest in black glanced in Sylphiel's direction. The man slid a violet cat eye open to consider her before turning and speaking to the blonde priestess. The child frowned before returning to his tea.

The woman with golden tresses and the man with feline eyes began to banter. Sylphiel watched them and wondered why she was watching. Did these people have some connection with Ms. Lina? Did they play a part in what would happen?

The child pointed at the door and his mouth moved.

Sylphiel followed the child's direction in time to see the door fly off its hinges. Martina and Zangulas charged into the house with their arms flailing.

General chaos ensued.

Although Sylphiel couldn't hear anything, she could guess the general gist of the conversation.

After all, when one person waves a mace around while another brandishes an imaginary monster and a third crawls around looking under the tablecloth, conversation has a nasty habit of veering off in a certain direction.

"What are you doing here? There are more important things to do." A voice informed Sylphiel. "I'm sure watching everything is wonderful and crap, but you're kinda getting distracted. Do you remember why you have that seed? Do you know why you have the seed?"

Sylphiel shuddered. She had almost forgotten.

"Zanaffar is back. It has been remade" Sylphiel murmured. "Oh, dear Cepheid! I, I have to help Ms. Lina!" She exclaimed. _'I don't care about how much it will hurt when I see Lina and Gourry together,'_ Sylphiel told herself, _'I must not run away. There are more important things.'_ "Zanaffar is back and I nearly forgot!"

"Good job." The other replied with a hint of sarcasm, "Now don't forget again when you wake up, okay?"

"I will remember." Sylphiel promised, and then she turned to thank the other.

Glittering eyes full of pride, malevolence, and mischief looked back.

Sylphiel knew those eyes.

She cried out and awoke.

"He's back! He's back!" She gasped as her heart pounded and her mind reeled.

She sat in bed and collected herself. There was a pool of sunlight at the foot of her bed. Someone had opened her window and a slight breeze teased the curtains. Everything was in its place.

"He's back?" she repeated. "Who is?" She put a hand to her head. Something important was tugging at her mind, something…

"Zanaffar." She announced, "The Demon Beast has been remade. The Destroyer of Sairaag has returned." She checked Flagoon's seed. "I must help Ms. Lina. I must take the seed to Ms. Lina. Flagoon will protect us once more" Sylphiel asserted.

She got dressed and packed her belongings before walking downstairs. She paid the innkeeper and left. She fixed her eyes on the horizon and marched towards Seyruun.

Zanaffar was back.

……………………

Their eyes watched him.

They peered out from the forest and followed his movements warily, unsure if he was prey or predator.

The wolves knew that humans who washed up on the island were prey, but the beasts also knew what predators smelled like. Edgar looked like every human the wolves had ever seen, he didn't act a thing like the Mazoku that resided on the island, and he had dragged himself out of the ocean like every human did. Therefore, he should be prey.

But he didn't smell like a living human. He smelled like dried blood and emptiness. No human the wolves had ever encountered and eaten smelled the way Edgar did. No Mazoku smelled the way the strange human did.

The wolves didn't know what to do, so the Edgar made the first move.

Something pale and ghostly struggled out of his arm.

Something bad and dreadful, it stank of pain and anguish.

Specter like hands tore from the thing and reached for the wolves. A multitude of transparent mouths strained to open and a chorus of rasps assaulted the ears of the wolves. The man smiled.

The wolves of the island bared their fangs and snarled at him. But even as they threatened him, they backed away from. He was not food. He was a predator as well.

"Go tell the Greater Beast that I am here." Edgar hissed to the nervous wolves. "Go warn your Mistress, tell her that I am coming to her."

He pulled out a knife and pointed it at the animals.

The knife was not an impressive piece of work. The crude iron blade was far from sharp and the handle was part rotten wood and part a mass of splinters. The most expensive part of the entire knife was a single ruby, hardly larger than a teardrop.

Yet despite its ill-made appearance, the blunt blade hummed with the darkness of its creator. The knife oozed with the energy of Shabranigdo.

The wolves melted into the shadows and Edgar sheathed his precious weapon.

"Well, that's that." He remarked calmly to the creature around his arm. "I do hope Ms. Zelas is in a cooperative mood. It would be such a waste of time and energy if I had to force her into submission, don't you agree, my Zanaffars?"

The hazy form thrashed and he could feel its minds cursing him.

He smiled patronizingly.

"Oh, you may hate me." He said to the monster, "You may curse me for creating you. You may call for my damnation all you want." He looked in the direction of Zelas' abode. "But I saved you. You were prostitutes and orphans; you were stray animals and homeless humans. I gave you power and you were too weak to resist. Since you were weak, I had to save you. Is it so wrong of me to turn you into my own power? Is it so sinful of me to meld all of you into one being and make you my own?" The multitude of his Zanaffar whispered curses at him. Edgar frowned at his creation. "You belong to me, I made you and I claimed you. I have suffered for you; you would do well to thank me."

The tendrils of the creature's spirit slithered around him and whispered accusations.

Edgar sighed at the other's folly and shook his head.

"I have done no wrong and I will do no wrong. I will destroy Seyruun because that is what must be done. I am the chosen one." He explained. "You may hate me, but you cannot fight me."

He smiled as he sauntered through the forest.

He knew their eyes were watching him.

……………………

The day was impossibly perfect. There was nothing to do and nothing was wrong in the world. The most delicate wisps of clouds hung in the brilliant blue sky and an enormous number of flowers bloomed on the hillside. A buzzing of an insect sounded like an epic ballad and a single hour seemed to last for all eternity.

Lina sat with her back against Gourry's strong shoulder as she basked in the sunlight and soaked in the perfection of the day.

Amelia was humming to herself as she twisted daisies into Zelgadis' lavender hair. The chimera was blushing and trying to focus on his book.

"There!" Amelia declared, "I'm done. That wasn't so bad, was it Mr. Zelgadis?"

"N-not really." He stammered, leafing through his book nervously.

"That's so cute Zelgadis" Lina teased, "Especially since you and Amelia match!"

Zelgadis' cheeks turned as red as Gaav's hair and he retreated with a grumble back into his book. Amelia blushed as well, but she looked more pleased than embarrassed.

Lina chortled at her friend's expense before plucking a nearby blossom and examining it.

The flower she had chosen was a cheerful yellow that reminded Lina of Gourry's hair. A thin scarlet streak ran through the center of each petal and the center of the flower was a soft black. Lina wondered if the blossom was a smaller relative of the sunflower. It had a similar appearance.

"What's so interesting about that flower?" Gaav asked, his looming shadow and booming voice breaking her reverie. "Do you see something in it?"

"Yeah, I see something." Lina said wittily, "I see Heaven in this wildflower."

Gaav cocked a large eyebrow at her odd remark before turning around and slicing a paper airplane out of mid-air. He left the sorceress to shout at his subordinates for being idiots and Lina returned to examining her flower.

Gourry's shoulder moved beneath her back and she glanced up at his profile.

He held a dandelion about five centimeters from his lips. Gourry closed his eyes and his dark lashes cast delicate shadows upon his tan cheeks. He drew a breath and the world seemed to inhale with him. As Lina watched, Gourry breathed freedom upon the flower and the white sphere fragmented. Three pairs of eyes watched as the dandelion seeds soared into the sun soaked sky.

Amelia was the first to break the silence with a happy sigh.

"Life seems so wonderful today" the princess remarked happily. "I wish the world was always this beautiful."

Gourry grunted in agreement, his eyes watching the gossamer clouds that cradled the glowing sun.

"I know we should get to Ubiety soon, I want to see Ms. Filia again." Amelia explained, "But it wouldn't be right if we didn't enjoy today. Perfect days are so rare that I'm sure it's a sin to not relax."

"It is a nice day." Lina admitted, "But if we want to get to Ubiety by tomorrow, we ought to get moving."

Amelia sighed in slight complaint and Gourry added in his own bit of grumbling.

"Would you rather stay here all night and not get into a town in time for dinner?" Zelgadis asked Amelia with a slight note of humor coloring his voice.

"I want dinner!" Gourry proclaimed, jumping up and waving his arms over his head. Lina toppled over on to the ground with an indignant yelp as Gourry's shoulder shot upwards.

"If you mention food, that man has the easiest behavior pattern to predict." Zelgadis remarked with a smirk.

"I'll go tell the Mazoku that it's time to leave," Lina volunteered as Gourry helped her to her feet. "But someone else is paying for dinner tonight."

As the others quickly debated over who would cover the bill, Lina strolled across the hilltop and over to the trio of Mazoku.

Countless paper airplane pieces littered the ground and Gaav's minions were busy collecting the trash. Gaav was about five meters away from the other Mazoku.

Lina examined the two minions, wondering if Gaav had a trick for telling the two apart. For some reason, Lina could never keep their names straight.

"Hey, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern." She called to the pair, _'What the hell, it's not like they're ever apart. What do I care if I don't know which one is which?'_ "It's time to hit the road again."

They dropped the scraps of paper they had painstakingly collected and saluted Lina simultaneously.

"Whoops," The female one remarked as the pieces of colorful origami fluttered to the ground.

"We'll be ready to go soon." The male added calmly.

"But first, we need to pick up the litter," The female continued as she plopped down on the grass and began gathering the paper airplane pieces all over again.

"We're trying to be environmentally conscious." The male explained confidentially as he knelt next to the other.

"Good for you." Lina replied, unsure of what to make of a pair of environmentally aware demons, "But be fast about it. If I don't get into a town in time for dinner, I might start blowing things up."

They nodded vigorously and Lina left them to their chore. She wandered a bit further, stopped to admire some daffodils, and located the Devil Dragon King. As she approached, she heard him talking aloud.

"You'll survive and find a new purpose. That's what humans do." He said, as though explaining something of great importance in a clumsy effort to comfort someone. He ran a hand through his scarlet hair and waited for a few seconds before continuing. "Doesn't matter. There are more important things to worry about. Now get out of here." He said shortly, and Lina could've sworn she saw a shadow flying away towards Seyruun.

"What was that all about?" The sorceress asked nosily, strolling up behind the Devil Dragon King.

He jumped slightly, but managed to recover his composure quickly. "It wasn't about anything." He lied coolly.

"Liar." Lina replied. "Tell me what that was all about or I'll poke you."

"If I survived a Ragna Blade, what would poking do to me?" Gaav demanded. "Besides, what I say is none of your business."

"Tell me" she replied, prodding him.

"No" he countered.

"Tell me," she repeated, poking him again.

"No!" he snapped.

"Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me" Lina said, jabbing him with the speed of a machine gun.  
"NO!" Gaav hollered, although it was obvious that he was about to cave under her demand.

"Tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me!" Lina cackled as she poked him with a semi-maniacal grin spread across her features.

"Fine!" Gaav yelled, trying to brush her away from his arm, "Just stop poking me!" _'She's too good at being a pain in the ass…' _he grumbled.

"Tell me." Lina ordered a final time.

"I… I was talking to my imaginary friend!" Gaav fibbed desperately, "Is that good enough for you?"

Lina stared at him with a blank look on her face before breaking into hysterical laughter. She doubled over and pointed at him to emphasize her amusement. She gasped something about Mazoku and little kids before another round of hysterics hit her.

'_Well, it's better than telling her that I was talking to some woman who loved Gourry.'_ Gaav reasoned to himself, _'I don't think Lina is the type to play fair when it comes to love and stuff.'_

"We're leaving." She informed the taller redhead after a few minutes of gasping for air between giggles, "Get your tree-hugging minions and your imaginary friend, we're hitting the road."

With the message delivered, Lina skipped back to the other humans to find out who was buying her next meal and to share a few embarrassing details about the Devil Dragon King. Gaav watched the short woman skip off with a look of utter bewilderment on his features.

"Tree-hugging minions?" He repeated slowly. After a moment of thought, he groaned and trudged over towards Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. _'By now I ought to know that when someone mentions my minions doing unusual activities, ninety-nine times out of a hundred Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are the subjects of discussion.'_ He thought as he walked up to the pair, _'And the rest of the time they've either assumed that Xelloss works for me or someone spiked Val's tea.'_

……………………

Filia sang to herself as she put the teakettle on to the stovetop. Even though she hadn't officially opened her pottery shop, she had already sold three vases, five coffee mugs, and ten matching teacups. The day was absolutely wonderful.

Although Filia wished that Jiras and his family hadn't gone to see Seyruun, the dragon maiden found it in her heart to forgive them. After all, Jiras' wife had baked some nice teacakes for the dragon maiden before they had left.

Milgasia was trying to teach Val how to play solitaire, but the young Ancient Dragon was far more interested in playing with a toy made out of two red marbles attached by strings to a stick. Frankly, neither Filia nor Milgasia understood the attraction, but since it kept Val happy they didn't pry.

The shadows stirred slightly and Xelloss' form emerged next to Filia's elbow.

Since her hands were busy measuring tealeaves, she stuck her tongue out at him. Xelloss responded by sticking his own tongue out at her, and Filia struggled to stifle a giggle. Val rolled his eyes at their foolish behavior before returning his amber eyes to his toy.

Milgasia realized that the Ancient Dragon was not about to learn how to play solitaire. With a sigh, the older Golden Dragon grabbed the daily newspaper off of the dining room table and perused the comics with a grave expression.

The teakettle whistled loudly.

Filia removed the kettle from the heat and poured a stream of hot water over the tealeaves. Both she and Xelloss were silent, as if the steam rising off of the brewing tea was so holy it deserved reverence. For nearly a minute the only sound in the house came from the click of Val's toy and the rustle of the newspaper in Milgasia's hands.

Finally, Filia broke the silence.

"You have to set the table if you want any tea today, Xelloss." She stated nonchalantly.

They both knew that she lacked the power to enforce her statement. They both knew that he would set the table. After six years of knowing one another, they had at least achieved a level of tolerance and understanding.

Xelloss snapped his fingers with a grin and, a few seconds later, an alarming clatter sounded from the dining room. Xelloss' cheery demeanor flickered momentarily as he poked his head into the dining room, but his gleeful grin returned stronger than ever when he saw the results of his handiwork.

"The table is set," Xelloss informed Filia happily. "Although your uncle wasn't expecting a teacup to push his elbow off the table," the Mazoku shrugged. "There's no real damage done of course, the teacup is perfectly fine and I'm sure Milgasia's heart rate will return to normal in a minute or so."

Filia's curiosity was piqued and she peeked around the corner to spy on her uncle.

A fragile porcelain teacup was lecturing Milgasia on his manners and his yellow eyes were wide with astonishment. Filia's sapphire eyes narrowed as she examined the cup from afar. The cherry tree pattern was traced in blue and the slender handle had miniscule blossoms attached to it. It was a very nice piece.

"Xelloss." The dragon maiden sighed, "I would appreciate it if you didn't enchant my antiques. I paid a pretty penny for that teacup and I didn't want it to talk."

"You never let me have any fun." Xelloss whined before waving his hand. "There. Emily Post has left the building. Are you happy now?" He pouted.

"Yes, thank you Xelloss," Filia replied, flashing a quick smile at the demon. "Now wash your hands and go sit down."

He relocated his material body over to the kitchen sink where he made a show of washing his hands with soap and hot water.

"You do realize that washing my hands is entirely unnecessary," Xelloss pointed out, "Since I lack a distinct physical form for germs to gather on."

"You're setting a good example for Val," Filia responded. "Think of it as washing your sins away." She added with an airy tone, quoting the deceased Supreme Elder of her former temple.

Xelloss pulled a face and mumbled something about needing steel wool to cleanse his hands of sin. Filia tossed the hand towel at him and he finished scrubbing his hands.

By the time Xelloss and Filia were through washing their hands, Milgasia had stealthily swapped teacups and Val was munching on a teacake.

Xelloss teleported his body over to his chair and folded his hands neatly in his lap. Filia poured the tea and passed the teacakes around.

The three dragons and the Mazoku sipped their tea in blissful silence.

After a bit, Val glanced over to one of the corners and Xelloss also examined the space with mild curiosity. Filia and Milgasia both looked over, but neither Golden Dragon noticed anything out of the ordinary. Val frowned and returned to drinking his tea. Xelloss, on the other hand, continued to examine the air with an amethyst shard eye.

"Is something wrong?" Filia asked the Mazoku, although she knew Xelloss' reply would be vague and full of nonsense.

"Oh, nothing is wrong at all." He smiled pleasantly, "I was just thinking about how things are moving and pieces of the puzzle are falling into place. I was merely mildly surprised by the way the universe worked for a split-second."

"If I asked you for an explanation, would you say it was a secret?" Filia inquired, _'Yes, yes he would. He delights in withholding information.'_ She answered herself.

"Goodness, am I really that predictable?" Xelloss replied with mock surprise. "Very well, I won't call it a secret."

"Really? Then what did you mean with all the 'things moving' and 'pieces of the puzzle' and 'the way the universe worked' mumbo-jumbo?" Filia asked eagerly, although a part of her knew that he would never explain his words in a satisfactory matter.

Xelloss' smile took on a new level of happy as he opened his mouth. "I think you'll find out soon enough!" He chuckled, planting a kiss on her nose.

Filia let out a cry of indignation and tossed her napkin at him before fumbling with her mace.

"You were planning that all along, weren't you?" She accused unhappily.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Xelloss responded with a singsong voice.

'_They're being stupid.'_ Valgaav grumped, _'Why are some people so immature? Is it too much to ask for someone sane in this world?' _"Hey, Filia." Val called as he pointed a small finger, "I think I hear someone at the front door."

The other two dragons cocked their blonde heads and listened to a pair of voices emitting from the other side of the front door.

A man and a woman were discussing the best way to make an entrance and a child was complaining of boredom. As the dragons listened, the voices agreed to knock the door down.

Filia leapt up in alarm as her front door splintered and two strangers barged into her house with shouts and wild gestures. A woman in a skimpy bikini and knee-high boots and a man with a floppy hat and long black hair skidded to a halt in the center of Filia's living room.

For an instant all was calm.

Then the woman began ranting about some monster and the man began searching under Filia's furniture for Gourry.

"Who are you and why have you attacked my home?!" Filia demanded, whipping out her precious mace and threatening the woman.

"Where is Lina Inverse?" The woman demanded in response as she waved and object that reminded Filia of a gilded oyster, "The curse of the Monstrous Zoamelgustar will rain down upon her head!"

"Gourry!" The man called brashly as he peered under Filia's prized white lace tablecloth, "Gourry, come out and fight me! I won't lose this time!"

"Answer my question!" Filia shouted at the pair.

"Well, if it isn't Ms. Martina and Mr. Zangulas!" Xelloss grinned, "What a pleasant surprise to see you two all the way out here!"

'_It is too much to ask for someone sane in this world'_ Valgaav decided glumly. _'Only fools exist in this world.'_

"Oh, it's that interfering human that wanted to see the Claire Bible" Milgasia remarked mildly before pouring a new cup of tea.

"Lina Inverse! I curse you!" Martina announced shrilly, waving her Zoamelgustar amulet in wide circles.

"Are you a coward, Gourry?" Zangulas bellowed, swinging his sword wildly.

"For the love of Cepheid, get out of my house!" Filia yelled as she parried one of Zangulas' more lethal looking swings with her mace, "You're destroying everything!"

Marinnie stepped daintily over the wreckage of the front door and surveyed her parent's handiwork with a look of disdain.

"Mother, Father" The four-year-old princess sighed, "Please stop making fools of yourselves. I don't think either Lina or Gourry is here at the moment."

Val examined the girl suspiciously. She looked younger than he was, but her haughty tone seemed too arrogant for a normal child.

Marinnie noticed Val's intense gaze and smirked. The poor boy was probably terrified by Martina and Zangulas' wild entrance. She didn't blame him, Martina and Zangulas had a habit of intimidating most people and merely annoying the rest.

"Who are you and why have you broken into my house?" Filia demanded once Zangulas sheathed the Howling Sword and Martina tucked the Zoamelgustar amulet into her cape.

Martina struck a pose and announced with a self-important laugh, "I am Martina Xoana Mel Navrachoa, the Queen of Xoana!"

"And I'm Zangulas, her husband," Zangulas added, tipping his hat.

"I can vouch for them," Xelloss volunteered, "I was at their wedding. It was an enjoyable event."

"And this is Marinnie, my baby girl" Martina continued, oblivious to the interruptions. The Queen of Xoana reached over and tried to hug her daughter; Marinnie dodged without taking her eyes off of Filia's tablecloth.

"I see," Filia said. "Now would you explain why the royal family of Xoana has come to my house?"

As Martina and Zangulas launched into their epic tale of trials that they had endured, Milgasia picked up the newspaper again and Xelloss slipped over to the kitchen to brew a new pot of tea. Val quickly grew bored of Martina's voice so he turned to Marinnie. The little girl looked just as bored as he was, if not more so. Therefore, she was fair game to pick on.

"So the royal family of Xoana has a habit of breaking and entering?" Val asked, sneering at Marinnie. "How odd, I thought members of royalty were born with manners."

Marinnie stuck her nose in the air and puffed her cheeks out.

"This house already needed an interior decorator," the princess retorted, "Now your mother wouldn't feel guilty about hiring someone to fix this shack up."

"We just moved into this house a few days ago!" Val snapped; irritated at the levels of conceit Marinnie's voice contained. _'I hate people who look down on others because of their position in society! It's just like the corrupt Golden Dragons and the hierarchy obsessed Mazoku!'_ Valgaav thought furiously.

"For real?" She replied with an arrogant giggle, "I guess dragons really don't have any aesthetic sense, do they?" _'Of course, Martina lacks aesthetic sense. Few people can put giant sculptures of Zoamelgustar all over the place and still call it art after the alcohol wears off'_ Marinnie thought off-handedly.

Val twitched and glared at Marinnie. Not only was she insulting him, her tone sounded just like Xelloss!

"The Feng Shui in this house was far better before your mollusk obsessed parents skipped in," Val answered, just as arrogantly as Marinnie. "I dare say you humans are death to harmony and tranquility."

Marinnie twitched and glared at Val. _'How dare he have the nerve to insult me? He isn't better than I am!'_

Right before the children came to blows, Xelloss floated back into the room with a fresh pot of tea and three clean teacups for the Xoana family.

The mysterious priest halted and stared at the two bickering children as though they were aliens or some other unnatural apparition. Then he smiled and licked his lips.

"Ah, delicious. I'd forgotten how tasty petty children are," Xelloss sighed appreciatively.

Marinnie gawked at him. Valgaav cheered a silent victory cry when he saw her unusual expression.

"Filia, why don't you offer some tea to your guests?" Xelloss called to the Golden Dragon priestess, "I'm sure that, after all that they've suffered through, some of your wonderful tea would be most welcome."

"Um… would you like some tea?" Filia offered to Martina. The other woman looked up from the floor where she had been begging Filia to give them lodgings. Martina glared at Xelloss before bouncing to her feet.

"Why thank you, tea sounds lovely" Martina replied. "By the way, you do know that Xelloss is a Mazoku, right?"

Filia nodded as she dragged three extra chairs over to the table.

"Well, I used to like him" Martina confided. Filia gagged in response. "But he broke my heart when I learned that he was a Mazoku" Martina continued, "So instead I fell in love with my darling husband Zangulas. Now I'm **definitely** over Xelloss."

"Why don't you tell me all about it over some tea" Filia invited.

"Can we stay here? I mean, sure we're royalty and all, but we didn't bring a lot of money with us. I'll tell you all about my adventures with Lina Inverse (may the curse of Zoamelgustar give her no peace) if you let me stay," Martina bartered.

Filia considered.

Martina practiced her puppy eyes.

Filia caved. The dragon maiden had never been able to resist puppy eyes…

"You can stay" Filia mumbled. Martina and Zangulas cheered and showered the Golden Dragon with artificial flowers. Then they sat down and enjoyed the tea Filia had poured for them.

Below the eyes of the oblivious adults, Marinnie and Val were glaring daggers at one another.

There was going to be a war soon.

……………………

**Author's Note to the Patient Reader:** Thank you for reading, I'm sorry it took so long to update. I really should have finished this sooner. I had the chapter mapped out, but then I had a big Physics test to study for. Then there were unhappy circumstances, and I'm afraid I didn't get around to updating. If the writing isn't that great, please forgive me; as I mentioned, there were unhappy circumstances.

On a brighter note, things are beginning to move. Edgar is on Wolf Pack Island, Val and Marinnie have met one another, the Xoana family is staying at Filia's house, Sylphiel is hurrying to Seyruun, and Lina's group is about a day away from Ubiety.

I apologize for my sluggishness and I thank you for your kindness.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note to the Kind Reader:** I'm so sorry this took so long, life just got hectic. I apologize for the last chapter as well, I had just lost a pet and I wasn't in a good state of mind. It was irresponsible of me to submit at that time.

I worked hard to make up for it, so hopefully this chapter will be better. Thank you very much.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_Nothing is Neither Good nor Bad_

……

The other bed in the room squeaked slightly as the occupant rolled out of bed to go to the bathroom. Lina buried her head in her pillow as footsteps shuffled across the cold wooden floor. She could hear song birds warbling in the trees outside her window, but it was too early for the clatter of the kitchen to begin.

'_It's probably four-ish…'_ Lina decided. _'I don' wanna get out of bed yet… Someone turn off the birds and let me sleep for five more hours'_. The sorcery genius moaned and pressed her hands over her ears. Mornings started way too early.

She was mildly surprised when she felt the weight of her quilt settle over her body, she hadn't expected to get the blanket back after she had kicked it onto the floor several hours ago. Now she had something else to use as a barrier between the world and her brain!

'_He's so sweet,'_ Lina thought sleepily as she managed to force her tired face into a small smile. Gourry's hand brushed a few errant strands of her hair out of her face before exiting the room. _'I really ought to appreciate him more…'_

Gourry tiptoed down the corridor, humming and bouncing slightly. Where was that bathroom again? He had to go to the end of the hall, but he wasn't sure which direction 'down the hallway' he was supposed to walk.

Zelgadis' door creaked open and the chimera glared out as he rubbed his tired eyes. Gourry waved slightly and grinned sheepishly at his friend. Zelgadis stared at Gourry for a few seconds before recognizing the blonde.

"It's down the hallway that way" Zelgadis whispered, pointing a finger in the direction Gourry had come from. "Then you turn left."

"Thanks" Gourry whispered back "Sorry for waking you up, Zel." Zelgadis made a dismissive gesture and Gourry tiptoed down the hallway.

Zelgadis watched his blonde friend until Gourry turned right at the end of the corridor. He waited for ten seconds until Gourry wandered back across the end of the hallway.

'_Typical Gourry'_ Zelgadis thought as he shook his head and smirked. _'I wonder what would happen if I told him to turn the wrong way.'_ He allowed himself a rare chuckle as he entertained the idea. Zelgadis returned to his bedside and then paused, straining his ears. He thought he had heard voices, but he knew from the innkeeper's rumbling snores that the man was still in bed. Who else could be up and about before Gourry had gone through his morning exercises?

Zelgadis could hear Gourry washing his hands down the hallway. In the next room over, Amelia was muttering in her sleep and announcing 'Justice' every few sentences. The springs in Lina's bed squeaked and Zelgadis' sensitive ears picked up the sound of the sorceress chewing on her pillow. The other guests in the inn all snored in some way or another. Finally, Zelgadis heard voices.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, filtering out the other noises and focusing on the soft voices. In a minute he distinguished three different voices: A deep baritone rumble, an even murmur, and a slightly higher-pitched voice.

'_It's the Mazoku? What are they doing at this hour?'_ Zelgadis wondered. He considered several possibilities before finding his slippers and putting them on. Gourry shuffled back along the hallway and turned into his inn room before Zelgadis walked down the hallway towards the tavern.

"It's peculiar really" Rosencrantz's voice said. A rhythmic clicking accompanied her words and put Zelgadis on edge. "I'm shocked how powerful these humans are."

"I agree, it's positively outrageous what they're capable of," Guildenstern replied. "I dare say Ms. Lina could kill a Mazoku Lord if she was riled enough." Zelgadis could hear the sound of a quill scratching on parchment.

"Time for a reality check," Gaav said dryly. He paused and Zelgadis' ears picked up the sound of someone drinking. "Lina almost killed me. If it wasn't for Hellmaster, I could've had the best fight of my entire life since the War; she could've defeated me." A loud clang of metal hitting the wooden tabletop followed his words. "Course, Hellmaster killed me in the end" Gaav complained, "That was the stupidest death I have ever had to live through."

"Y'know, you aren't dead now, you're alive as far as I can see." Rosencrantz interrupted.

"And you wouldn't really live through a death, would you?" Guildenstern added helpfully. "Nor would you live after a death. It's just the nature of being dead, isn't it?"

"Do you two understand the meaning of 'reborn in human form again and again'?" Gaav inquired with a groan, "It means that after I die I get shoved into a new human life. I don't stay dead." The Devil Dragon King explained.

"Then you weren't really dead" Guildenstern countered, "Not real death. Death is not anything; it's the absence of presence, nothing more. Death is an endless time and there's no coming back, no reset button or second chance. Real death is eternal."

"Y'know, eternity is a really horrible thought if you get to thinking about it for a long time" Rosencrantz informed the other demons, "I mean, when's it going to end? If death is eternal, then you have to go around being dead in your coffin for an awful long time. And what do you DO when you're dead? Can you see all the other dead people? Or are you all alone, just waiting for something to happen as the maggots munch on your innards?"

Zelgadis pondered the demons' conversation; they did make a good, albeit peculiar, point. What happened to all the people that died? Where was Rezo or Eris? What were Rodimus and Zolf doing? Were Zelgadis' parents together at last?

'_God, everyone from my childhood is dead'_ Zelgadis realized. _'I wonder if they really are gone forever.'_ He shuddered at the thought and leaned against the wall.

The floor beneath his feet creaked and he heard the three Mazoku turn.

'_Oh, crap'_ Zelgadis thought, _'They know I'm here…'_

"Hey, Mr. Blue" Gaav called cockily, "Is eavesdropping a hobby of yours?"

"My hobbies are generally more productive" Zelgadis replied coolly as he turned the corner. "But when it comes to dealing with Mazoku, I find that eavesdropping is more useful than shredding on a guitar."

The air grew tense as Zelgadis and Gaav glared at one another, trying to make the other back down. The silence seemed to press down on everything but the two extra demons.

"We used to collect stamps" Rosencrantz volunteered happily as she counted the stitches in an ugly mustard and maroon scarf. "It wasn't as fun as playing the guitar, but it was still a hobby."

"Of course, Lord Gaav made us stop after awhile" Guildenstern sighed dramatically as he rolled up a picture of the Mona Lisa. "He said that armed robbery of a post office was going overboard."

An awkward silence replaced the tense atmosphere as Zelgadis, Gaav, and the sleeping bartender sweat dropped.

Gaav coughed in mild embarrassment. "So, uh, you were eavesdropping on us…" The Devil Dragon King trailed off.

"Oh, I was eavesdropping" Zelgadis agreed quickly, although his mind was busy trying to come up with scenarios in which an armed robbery of a post office might occur. "I don't trust Mazoku. As far as I've observed, Mazoku always want something from Lina."

"I see your point. After all, you traveled with Xelloss for quite awhile" Gaav admitted grudgingly, "But doesn't it seem a little foolish to be slinking around at night and listening to people talk? I assure you, we aren't like Xelloss. We don't go for the manipulation and misinformation that that little prick loves. If you really wanted to know what we want, then just ask us."

Zelgadis considered the option before sighing loudly and scratching his head. _'Then just ask? Things can't be that simple. From the moment I met Lina, nothing has been simple at all.' _"Fine, here's a question" Zelgadis said aloud, "Why do you travel with Lina?"

"'Cause Lady Amelia is traveling with her and Sir Christopher asked us to keep an eye on Lady Amelia" the two lower-class Mazoku responded in synchrony.

Zelgadis nodded. He had expected them to answer like that, but theirs wasn't the answer he was interested in.

"I'm her so called 'pet'" Gaav responded with a calculated shrug, "That's probably not the answer you want, but it's the best reason I got. I'm not very good at explaining things you see; I'm one for action and instinct." He ran a large finger around the rim of his beer can. A wrinkled formed on his brow as he considered his words. "I guess there's something about her that draws people to her. She's loud-mouthed, short-tempered, irresponsible, insanely optimistic, and she draws trouble faster than Xelloss can belt out his catch phrase."

Zelgadis nodded. It wasn't that he trusted the Mazoku Lord, but Gaav was reciting many of Zelgadis' own gripes.

"She's kind of like a bright light: no matter how painful it is to stare at it, you just can't take your eyes away" Gaav chugged the last of his beer before crumpling the can with a single hand and adding the result to a pile of similar cans. "Truth be told, I don't understand the whole 'pet' rigmarole, but it makes for a convenient excuse. So, why do you travel with Lina?"

"She's my friend" Zelgadis responded immediately, "I'm sure that sounds stupid to you, but your reason didn't make much sense to me."

The silence hung in the air for a few minutes and the bartender opened a violet feline eye in anticipation of some sort of violent action. He was somewhat disappointed when Zelgadis' sighed and sat down at the table and Gaav opened another can of beer.

"Black coffee as strong as it comes, please." Zelgadis called over to the bartender, "The faster the better." The bartender nodded and retreated into the kitchen to wake the real bartender and pass on the order.

"Do you know any good card games?" Gaav asked chimera. "I've been chugging beer for hours and listening to Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum rant about nearly every subject under the sun; I need a change of pace."

"I know how to play solitaire." Zelgadis replied anti-socially.

"Right, Go Fish it is." Gaav responded. "You shuffle, I'll deal."

"I didn't say I was going to play" Zelgadis snapped back as he shuffled the cards like a professional. The sleepy bartender set a mug of coffee next to Zelgadis' arm before returning to the kitchen.

"I don't care what you said. We're playing Go Fish and there's nothing you can do about it." Gaav extracted the deck of cards from Zelgadis' grip and began dealing the cards out. He scanned his hand before looking up at the chimera, "Do you have a Zelas? That's the platinum blonde chick with a great tan. She has a cigarette and she's wearing a toga."

"No, Go Fish" Zelgadis muttered as he organized his own hand, "Do you have a Shabranigdo?"

……………………

Amelia wandered down several hours later to find Zelgadis and Gaav engaged in a multi-deck Go Fish grudge match.

"Good morning Mr. Zelgadis" The princess greeted. "Good morning Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Good morning Mr. Gaav."

"G'morning Lady Amelia" Guildenstern and Rosencrantz answered together as they sipped their specialty coffees and watched the card game. "Isn't this fascinating? They've been going at this for three hours. They're up to mixing a sushi themed deck, a Dark Lord themed deck, a hair products themed deck, and a Prince Phil themed deck."

"That's nice" Amelia said politely.

"Do you have a laughing Phil in a navy blue spandex suit with a red 'X' on his chest?" Zelgadis asked with a determined grin on his face.

"Damn!" Gaav exclaimed, tossing said card across the table to the smug chimera. "Do you have a kappa roll with extra wasabi?"

"No, Go Fish" Zelgadis smirked.

"Have you seen Mr. Gourry or Ms. Lina?" Amelia asked.

Zelgadis looked over at the princess and frowned. "Now that you mention it, I don't think Gourry came down yet" He rearranged his cards and scrutinized his options. "Odd, Gourry usually practices his swordsmanship in early in the morning..."

"You think he's practicing with a euphemistic sword?" Gaav asked with a leer.

"Perhaps..." Amelia mumbled as a blush suffused her cheeks, "Ms. Lina did insist on getting a room with Mr. Gourry..."

"Well, it's about time" Zelgadis muttered under his breath. "Say, do you have a Phibrizzo with seven floating soul orbs?"

"Nope, Go Fish" Gaav said. "So why don't you knock and see if Lina and Gourry are up to anything? She wanted to get to Ubiety today, didn't she?"

"Yes, well... I don't think it would be wise to interrupt Ms. Lina..." Amelia replied nervously, "And, it would just be... wrong... to see, well, that is..." The princess sank down in her seat, too embarrassed to continue.

"Huh." Gaav grunted, "If you'll finish playing this hand, then I'll get them out of bed. I can run faster than you can, and I don't have as many inhibitions as you do. Plus, I'm losing this game. Here" he handed the cards to Amelia and headed for the stairs.

The others watched him go with varying degrees of nervousness.

"Do you think he'll live?" Amelia squeaked.

"Lina couldn't kill him with the Ragna Blade last time, so he should be okay" Zelgadis said with a tone that suggested that he was hoping for a different outcome. "We just need to hope that Lina won't resort to the Giga Slave over this."

Amelia nodded and looked through the cards. "You're right. Do you have a card with Daddy taking down a lesser demon with an 'All Men Brothers, Hand in Hand'?"

Zelgadis perused his hand before selecting the card Amelia had requested and handing it to her. "Do you have a Phil taking down a different lesser demon with that 'Joyful Reunion Bear Hug' attack?" He inquired as he placed a salmon roe sushi card in front of a green hair dye card.

"Um... no" Amelia replied, "Go Fish, Mr. Zelgadis."

Loud voices broke out from the upper floor as Zelgadis drew a card featuring a grinning Gaav in a schoolgirl uniform.

'_That is thoroughly disgusting...' _Zelgadis thought, _'After Lina gets through with killing the real Gaav, I'm going to ask her to Dragon Slave this card all the way to Zephilia.'_

Oddly enough, there were no explosions. Lina and Gaav were shouting at one another and a minute later Lina's door slammed and Gaav stomped down the stairs with a slightly ill expression on his face.

"How was it, Lord Gaav?" Rosencrantz asked eagerly.

"Can you share the details?" Guildenstern continued hopefully.

"There wasn't any action." Gaav grumbled, "They were just..." He gagged on the word, "cuddling..." A shudder ran through his large frame, "And they were wearing matching pajamas too."

"Disgusting" Rosencrantz gasped.

"Gooey" Guildenstern agreed.

"Indecent" Rosencrantz continued.

"It's enough to rot your teeth." Guildenstern stated.

"I'm surprised you didn't claw your eyes out" Rosencrantz declared.

"What's wrong with cuddling and wearing matching pajamas?" Amelia demanded. "I think it's better than the alternative."

"They're Mazoku." Zelgadis pointed out, "They probably see things like that as an affront to social norms."

Before the conversation could advance beyond that point, Lina stalked down the stairs and shot a venomous glare at Gaav. The others quickly realized that continuing the conversation could result in a messy end.

Lina plopped down at a different table and called out her normal breakfast order. Gourry wandered over a few minutes later and sat down with a happy smile before attacking Lina's pancakes. The chaotic breakfast ran its course and by the end Lina had forgotten her irritation.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair.

"So" She began happily, "Ubiety is a few hours away, if we hurry we could get there by four in the afternoon. Then we can ask around until we find Filia's place. Hopefully we can mooch dinner off of Filia and stay at her house." Lina handed the bill to Amelia and the princess automatically covered the cost of Lina's breakfast. The sorceress looked sternly at the three Mazoku in her current traveling party. "Gaav, I told you that Valgaav was reincarnated, right? Well his name is 'Val' now, and he's Filia's adopted son. I don't want you to reawaken his memories or anything troublesome like that. Understand?"

Gaav nodded. "I won't deprive him of the peaceful life he deserves" He stated plainly.

"Great. I'll hold you to that" Lina said, "Now, my stomach is full and Amelia paid the bill, I think it's about time we get moving towards Ubiety!" She raised a fist in the air to signify her readiness and in the process toppled out of her chair.

"Ouch..." Lina mumbled from the floor, "Don't laugh."

……………………

She was eager. Her form quivered slightly in anticipation and her eyes gazed out intensely. Something was coming. Something was here.

"Cute arm" Zelas greeted her visitor casually, "Does it do tricks?"

The man stared at her, as though trying to decipher her many mysteries.

"It can only do one trick" he replied, his lightless eyes never leaving her gaze. "It can make me more powerful than you are, Lady of the Wolves."

"Ooh, really?" Zelas purred, "Can you tell me how? I love a good story." She watched without blinking, her golden eyes were mocking any weakness he displayed.

Edgar ignored her predator's gaze as he unsheathed his ugly knife and held it in front of his face. "Do you recognize this knife, Lady Beastmaster? Can you taste the power that runs within it?"

"That is Lord Ruby Eyes' knife" Zelas answered like a diligent student. "You can tell it's his craftsmanship because it's so ugly. Father takes a great deal of joy in deceptive appearances. Now, tell me how this little knife can make you more powerful than I."

"Because I possess the unlimited power of Zanaffar as well as this fragment of Shabranigdo's energy" Edgar explained, and for the first time Zelas appeared interested. "I studied the energy signature of Shabranigdo and I'm quite confident in my ability to channel and redirect the unlimited potential of Zanaffar's great energy into a perfect imitation of Shabranigdo's power." Edgar smiled a plain smile. "Even if it isn't the genuine power that all Mazoku must submit to, this fake is so well made that there is hardly any difference. Now, Lady Zelas, will you take my word or will you insist on a demonstration?"

Zelas stroked the soft fur of a wolf that had wandered into the throne room. The man's claim was outrageous, but her wolves were frightened of him. Many millennia ago Zelas had learned that her wolves' instincts were rarely inaccurate.

'_Well, I ought to insist on a demonstration, it would only be proper. On the other hand, I'm bored of all these days that unwind without a tangle. I need some sort of diversion'_ Zelas reasoned. "I'll be lenient and take your word, mortal. Will you tell me your purpose in coming here?"

Edgar nodded.

"I am destined to destroy Seyruun. While I could do so on my own, I would rather have an army to kindle fear within the hearts of the citizenry. I wish for you to lend me a legion of lesser demons and one other Mazoku in your service" Edgar paused and assessed her mood. Good, she was predatory. "I'm sure you know which other Mazoku I want to borrow."

"Xelloss, right?" Zelas clapped her hands dramatically and her Priest appeared, bowing before her.

"You called, Mother?" Xelloss asked lightly.

"Yes, my child. This man wants to borrow you and use you in his plot to destroy Seyruun. Is that okay, darling?" Zelas answered casually.

Xelloss considered the man warily.

"Give me one week" He requested, "One week of my own time, okay?"

"Why?" Was the dull answer his request received.

'_Why indeed?'_ Xelloss wondered, _'Why of course! I have my own agenda, little mortal.'_ "Because there won't be any more of the best soft-serve ice cream if you destroy Seyruun. Just allow me one week to indulge in all the ice cream I want. Then I will aid you" Xelloss watched the man with a glint of contempt in his amethyst eyes. The man was such a dull example of humanity, a dull appearance and a dull voice and dull thoughts. Lina was by far a more entertaining example of the human race.

"One week. I can wait that long." Edgar said.

"Thank you," Xelloss replied as neutrally as he could, "Then if you will excuse me." _'I need to move a few pieces across the stage.'_

……………………

'_I should've thought of this sooner'_ Lina smiled as she watched Gaav trying to quench some small fires on the hem of his coat. They had made better time than Lina had predicted, thanks to her technique of using Flare Arrows to keep her companions from dawdling.

"So this is Ubiety?" Gourry asked as he sneezed soot. The alphabetically named residential streets had white picket fences for trim and large signs at every street corner pointed visitors towards the shop district. From the trees growing on the side of the road to the various shops in the merchant blocks, everything in Ubiety had a clear label to verify its existence.

"This is definitely Ubiety" Lina stated, "Now all we have to do is try to track Filia down. It shouldn't be too hard to find her; these people love to make sure that everything is in a particular place."

A man left a bookstore and walked by Lina and her companions. He hummed a slightly off tune rendition of 'It's a Small World After All' as he headed towards a tavern.

"Hey," Lina called to him, "Hey! Can you tell us where to find Ms. Filia Ul Copt? She should have a pottery and mace store."

"Oh, yes" the man replied, "Blonde, short-temper, loves tea, and carries her mace attached to her garter. I know who she is, she moved into town about a week ago. If you follow this road," He pointed, "Take the fifth right, go two blocks, and you'll see her store in the middle of the V-Z block; it's called 'Vases and Maces'."

"Thanks!" Lina grinned. She turned to her companions, all of whom had moved out of blast range. She rolled her eyes; it was almost as though they expected her to blow random citizens up. "Come on, guys. I know where we can find Filia."

"Have a good day" the man said as he waved at their retreating forms. _'I can't believe how much I've needed to interfere in order to get all the pieces in one place on time. Really, Lina, I expect more from you in the future.'_ Xelloss thought.

……………………

"So" Marinnie said, "What would you compare this situation to, peasant dragon boy?"

"This is called 'Time Out', prissy little princess. It's what happens when you dump an entire bowl of sugar on Uncle Milgasia's lap." Val snapped back. "This is what happens when you drop buckets of cold water off of the banister. This is what happens when you get caught filching Mr. Jiras' gunpowder. Don't your parents discipline you?"

"Hah. As far as my parents care, I'm a perfect angel." Marinnie shot back. "But that wasn't the situation I was referring to."

"Then what were you asking about?" Val asked.

"I thought dragons had good hearing. Can't you hear the voices outside? I think they're coming up to your house." Marinnie retorted.

Val cocked his head and listened, "Oh, those voices." He pondered. "Well, since I hear THAT voice, I think I'd compare this situation to..." A list of various explosives ran through Val's head, but none of them were satisfactory. "I don't think there are many things in this world as volatile as Ms. Lina and a large number of her friends."

"Well, I guess that's true. Maybe they'll destroy the world for me." Marinnie sighed.

"Why do you want to destroy the world?" Val inquired, "You have a wonderful life of privilege and gourmet food."

"I have to wear cheesy shirts with a picture of Zoamelgustar on them. If that isn't enough to drive me insane, then living with the creator of Zoamelgustar is."

"Oh. Yeah. You have a point there."

A multitude of loud, happy voices rumbled from around the vicinity of the recently repaired front door. Phrases such as: "I didn't know you knew one another", "Would you like some tea?", "It's been awhile, hasn't it!", and "This is your new house?" kept reaching Val's ears.

Eventually, Filia called for Val to greet the guests and Martina called for Marinnie to meet the woman who had destroyed Xoana. Both children begged the heavens for mercy before they walked down the stairs to meet Lina Inverse.

When Val and Marinnie arrived at the bottom of the stairs ten seconds later, Lina had Martina in a stranglehold and Zangulas had already dragged Gourry outside to duel. Filia, Milgasia, Amelia, and Zelgadis were sitting on the couch and sipping tea while chatting about the current political situation in Seyruun. Val was startled to see Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. The last time Valgaav had seen the pair, it was just their pictures next to their obituaries in the Daily Demon Newspaper. Well, they had an odd habit of coming back.

"Oh, Filia?" Lina called across the room, "I have a new pet, do you mind if he comes in? He's housebroken and he won't harm you or Val." She was grinning ear to ear, a feat that even Xelloss had difficulties with.

"Very well Ms. Lina," Filia replied.

Lina waved and Gaav walked into the house, and bonked his head against the doorframe in the process. Both Val and Marinnie gawked at the tall redhead. Filia's teacup shattered in her grip as she stared at the giant Mazoku. Filia leapt out of her seat. Her mace flew out in a blur and halted a centimeter away from the Devil Dragon King's nose.

"You're Gaav, aren't you?" Filia asked pleasantly. "Well, I won't let you harm a hair of Val's head."

"I wasn't planning to..." Gaav protested, calculating how many brain cells he would lose if Filia's mace impacted his skull.

Valgaav was thinking quickly. Sure he was stunned to see Lord Gaav back from the dead; but if he didn't come up with something quickly, then Filia would kick Gaav out of the house. Val didn't want to lose either Filia or Gaav; he had to come up with something...

"Oh, wow," Val declared in a loud voice, "You have pretty hair Mister!" _'And I sound like an idiot' _Valgaav thought. "Can I play with your hair? Mommy always lets me play with her hair!" _'I sound like a complete idiot.'_

"Um..." Gaav replied intelligently.

"Let Val play with your hair if you value your life" Filia hissed, "And don't you dare harm him. He had a bad life last time; I won't allow anyone to force him back into that sorrow."

A bead of sweat ran down Gaav's cheek. The dragon maiden was rather frightening.

"Sure kid, you can play with my hair..." Gaav mumbled. Val cheered and grabbed the Mazoku Lord's hand and began dragging him up the stairs. Marinnie watched them go with a look of confusion, irritation, and fear on her features.

"Marinnie dear!" Martina said as she struggled out of Lina's grasp, "Come over here and meet Lina Inverse." The little princess shot one last look toward the stairs where Val and Gaav had disappeared before regarding Lina nervously. Then she obediently shuffled over to stand next to Martina.

"Cute kid" Lina remarked. "I'm sure it's yours, Martina, the Zoamelgustar shirt is too obvious a clue to miss. So, what's your name, little girl?"

Marinnie slid away from Lina, her light green eyes watching the sorceress' every movement.

'_Weird eyes'_ Lina mused. "Don't worry, I won't bite you" She said to the little girl.

"Go on sweetie; tell Lina what your name is. Don't forget the pose we practiced." Martina instructed her reluctant daughter.

Marinnie thrust an unenthusiastic fist into the air before proclaiming in a monotone, "I am Marinnie Kah Zuikura Xoana. The Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Xoana which you destroyed, Ms. Inverse." Marinnie turned to her mother with a pout, "There, can I go now?"

Martina nodded and Marinnie scampered up the stairs. Lina shook her head and mumbled something about annoying little brats.

Gourry and Zangulas meandered into the house.

"Aw, don't worry Zangulas." Gourry said, "You're still a really good swordsman."

"But you beat me again" Zangulas replied, "I just don't have anyone skillful enough to spar with back home in Xoana."

"Well, while we're staying here, I can spar with you as long as you don't try to kill me" Gourry offered generously. Zangulas clapped him on the back and the two men sat down at the dining room table to compare training schedules.

Downstairs, everything settled into a comfortable atmosphere of congeniality mixed with a small dose of chaos. Zelgadis joined Gourry and Zangulas and the three men conversed on all topics pertaining to swordsmanship. Amelia and Martina got to work on a new draft of a peace treaty between their kingdoms. Xelloss popped by and Lina spent a few minutes alternating between catching up with the Mazoku and beating him over the head with a slipper. Milgasia began a game of 'Questions' against Guildenstern while Rosencrantz played the part of referee. Filia slipped over to the kitchen and began making a seven course dinner; she needed to make a big meal with all the guests in her house.

Upstairs, things were slightly different.

……………………

Gaav sat calmly as the small Ancient Dragon ran a comb through his red mane. There wasn't any point in worrying; Val seemed to be happy in his new life.

"I'm gonna put your hair in a ponytail, okay, Mr. Gaav?" Val grinned as he tugged on Gaav's blood red locks. Gaav felt his head being wrenched first one way and then another as Val struggled to tie the mass of hair back.

"Excuse me," A girl's voice sounded from the vicinity of Val's bedroom door. "Do you mind if I borrow you for a moment?"

"I'm not hanging out with you, Princess Marinnie." Val replied quickly.

"I wasn't talking to you, draconic commoner" The girl shot back venomously, "I was talking to that giant fool."

"Lord Gaav won't play with you either" Val snapped as he pulled on Gaav's hair.

"I don't want to play with him. I just have a few questions I want to ask." Marinnie replied impatiently.

Gaav watched the two children with a blank expression; little kids were more confusing than Xelloss. What did they want from him? Since when did little children like him? Didn't they usually run away screaming? Not that he wanted a pair of screaming kids on his hands...

"If you don't stand aside, then I shall frame you for some idiotic prank that will send you to 'Time Out' for several hours" Marinnie threatened. "Is it really worth a long 'Time Out' just to prevent me from speaking to your oversized doll with creepy eyebrows?"

Val flinched.

"Hey," Gaav interrupted, "I'll talk to her for a bit and be back quickly, is that okay, Val?"

Val pouted a bit but he nodded none the less. Marinnie beckoned to Gaav and he followed her with some grumbling, taking extra care to duck through Val's doorway.

As Marinnie led the Devil Dragon King down the hallway to the room that Filia was lending her, Gaav pulled a can of beer out of his pocket and began to chug the alcohol. His intuition told him that he would need that alcohol in a few minutes.

Marinnie opened the door to her room and motioned for Gaav to enter. She entered after him and closed the door behind her with a loud click.

"What do you want?" Gaav demanded edgily. Something about the little girl was annoyingly familiar.

"I just want to ask you a few questions" she replied as she faced the door.

"Well then ask already. Val's waiting." Gaav said impatiently, watching the four-year-old stroll over to her bedside.

"As rushed as ever, aren't you?" Marinnie observed wryly. "Very well, first question. Why are you alive?"

"Huh?" Gaav responded, adopting Gourry's favorite tone. "I guess I'm alive because I'm not dead."

"That doesn't make sense, it isn't possible" Marinnie snapped, her eyes blazing as she stomped her foot on the floor. "How can you not be dead, Gaav?"

"What do you mean?" Gaav asked back, edging away from the angry child.

"I" Marinnie said, laying careful emphasis on every word, "I killed you, Gaav."

His eyes widened and the beer can slipped from his numb hand. Finally he managed to stammer.

"PH-Phibrizzo?!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_Day One: Mood Swings in Conversations_

……

His mind shuddered in horror as he looked into her taunting, heartless eyes. They were the eyes of his murderer, the last thing he had seen before he had died. Lina had claimed that she had killed Hellmaster, but the child before him was, indeed, none other than Phibrizzo.

Gaav struggled to think of something to say, but, aside from her true identity, his brain refused to come up with something worth saying. His mouth grew impatient with his stunned brain and took over.

"Uh, Phibs? Why're you in drag?"

It wasn't the most tactful way to reestablish any sort of tolerance that the two Mazoku Lords might've had before they became bitter enemies, but it was a question that Gaav desperately wanted an answer to.

Marinnie, Hellmaster Phibrizzo, fell on her face in a spectacular manner.

"Is that the most intelligent thing you can think of to say?" Phibrizzo demanded from the floor, "The last time we met, I killed you and incinerated your remains! Shouldn't you say something about killing me or thwarting my plots?"

"Well, maybe," Gaav admitted. "But you're wearing a skirt. You're in drag, it's weird."

"I am not in drag!" Marinnie shrieked, hopping up and shaking her fists at the Devil Dragon King.

"Deny it all you like, but you're wearing a hot pink skirt," Gaav protested defensively.

"I know that!" Phibrizzo yelled irately, "But I'm not in drag!"

"Phibs, I hate to break it to you, but generally when a guy wears a skirt, he's in drag. The only exception is if his skirt is a kilt, and you're not wearing a kilt." Gaav explained; although his brain wasn't fully functional, his mouth did not want to stop fighting with the Hellmaster.

"I'M A GIRL!" The Hellmaster screamed furiously.

"Huh?" Gaav frowned as he attempted to process the information he had just received. Unfortunately, his backlogged brain took the opportunity to attempt a reboot and all Gaav could do was gape at the child in front of him.

"I'm a girl." Phibrizzo reiterated, "A princess to be exact."

"You're a princess?" Gaav repeated incredulously. _'So then what am I?'_

"Yes," Marinnie sighed, flicking a strand of dark green hair behind her ear. "I found myself reincarnated as Marinnie Kah Zuikura Xoana, the Crown Princess of Xoana. I have no idea why **I** ended up bound to a human soul, perhaps it's because I spared Martina's life…" Phibrizzo dissolved into quiet grumblings.

All was silent for a moment. Then Gaav snickered inelegantly, and he began to guffaw.

"Princess Phibrizzo!" He chuckled. He sank to his knees, his massive shoulders shaking with chortles. He pounded the floor as he gasped for air.

"Stop laughing you jerk!" Phibrizzo shouted, _'I'd be better off talking to a dead squirrel! Why did I even bother talking to this oversized orangutan?'_

"Ooh, my sides hurt…" Gaav wheezed mirthfully. The Devil Dragon King's hysterics began anew every time he glanced at Marinnie.

"Stop laughing! Stop laughing! Stop laughing!" Phibrizzo demanded immaturely. Marinnie stomped her feet and her face flushed in fury as Gaav continued to laugh. "When I get my power back, I will kill you! I will strangle you with your own jugular! I will incinerate your remains! I will cremate your ashes over and over and over and over! I will make a thousand voodoo dolls of you and destroy each and every one in the most imaginative and gruesome ways possible! And then I will track your soul down in Hell and rip it into teeny-tiny itsy-bitsy pieces! STOP LAUGHING!"

Gaav smirked at her tirade. His azure eyes glinted shrewdly as he sized up the livid child standing in front of him.

"You said 'When I get my power back'," Gaav notified the Hellmaster, "Can I assume that you're practically powerless?"

Marinnie let out a strangled squeak and backed away from the looming figure of the Devil Dragon King. Gaav's smirk grew larger in response to Marinnie's reaction to his observation.

"So, let me get this straight" Gaav said smugly, "You, of all Mazoku, spared a human's life. Later the Golden Lord kills you. Next thing you know, you're bound to a human soul… You're just like me. If that isn't humiliating enough, you ended up reincarnated as the daughter of the human you spared. You're a girl… a royal princess. Yet worst of all, you don't have access to your demonic power." Gaav grinned down at the squirming Hellmaster. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"Y-yeah? So what? You can't get away with killing me right now…" Phibrizzo sputtered perversely. She crossed her arms across the picture of Zoamelgustar on her shirt and glared huffily at Gaav, daring him to do something.

Gaav considered the small girl. _'I must be going crazy' _He thought, _'Phibrizzo is right here, utterly powerless, and I don't feel any urge to slaughter him… her…it. In fact, I pity the kid.' _Gaav rubbed his head in confusion,_ 'Maybe it's just because I understand what it's like to end up stuck with a human soul. Or maybe I've changed…'_

"…I won't kill you, Phibrizzo."

Marinnie's eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed in suspicion.

"Honest, I don't feel like killing you. You would put up a good fight." Gaav rationalized. "Besides, if there's one thing I've learned from traveling with Lina Inverse, it's that holding grudges takes to much energy. There's no way I'd be able to keep up with her and her friends if I made a point of holding a grudge, I need every last bit of energy just to get a piece of toast at breakfast."

Phibrizzo stared at Gaav as though he had suddenly grown three draconic heads. Then Marinnie frowned and looked away petulantly. Her pale green eyes bored into the wall for several long minutes before she spoke.

"You've changed, Gaav" The Hellmaster whispered, disappointment tingeing Marinnie's voice. "You've changed a great deal in fact" she added forlornly, "You're more human than ever."

"Cheer up, squirt" Gaav encouraged, mistaking Phibrizzo's disappointment for nervousness. "I'm sparing your life, don't look so glum."

"It isn't fair." Her whisper was quieter than snow flakes falling in the night sky.

"Huh?" Gaav replied, unsure if he had heard anything.

"It's not fair! It's not right!" Phibrizzo shouted, "Why are you all mature and forgiving now? You're supposed to always, always, always be the hot-headed battle geek who doesn't care about anything or anyone! You're supposed to try to kill me!" Marinnie bit her lip, tears welling in her cat-like eyes. "It's not right, nothing is right. Why am I stuck with a human soul? I don't want to be a traitor, I won't be a traitor."

"Hey, calm down…" Gaav said, unsure of what to make of Phibrizzo's ranting.

"I hate you! Lord Ruby Eyes always favored you, even after you betrayed him! You always ended up beating me. Even in death and rebirth you end up in a more favorable situation. I hate my life." Tears were running down her round cheeks and sobs shook her small body.

"Don't cry…" Gaav begged; this was bad, he was close to panicking. He could easily deal with a psychotic Phibrizzo killing him, but Gaav didn't know what to do with a crying Phibrizzo. _'For the love of Lord Ruby Eyes,' _He complained inwardly, _'Do girls have tear glands just to torment people?'_

Marinnie sniffed and rubbed a small fist across her face. With all the crying and shouting over with, Phibrizzo felt relieved and rational. Gaav was watching her as though she was a fragile china teacup balanced precariously on the edge of a cliff in an earthquake prone area. Phibrizzo smirked.

"Y'know, you've changed a lot too." Gaav remarked tentatively. "Aside from the occasional crocodile tears, I don't think I ever saw the old you cry. And I'm positive the old you would never go on a rant like that."

"Chalk it up to living with Martina for four years," Phibrizzo suggested, "It's enough to send anyone to an asylum. In a few years, I'll be loopy enough to understand everything Dolphin says."

"Huh" Gaav grunted, allowing Phibrizzo to control the conversation.

"I might even end up forgetting who I am," Phibrizzo muttered, "If I don't regain my power, then there's no point in me being anyone other than the Crown Princess of Xoana."

Gaav snorted, thoroughly amused by the idea of Phibrizzo being a princess and mildly frightened at the idea of what Phibrizzo would do as a princess. However, he had enough sense to stifle his amusement and attempt to act concerned.

"I'm sure you'll get your demonic powers back… eventually," Gaav said gruffly, "I always returned to full strength after living as a human for eighteen years."

"What's so special about eighteen?" Phibrizzo wondered, "I prefer numbers like thirteen, six-hundred-and-sixty-six, or four."

"I think it has something to do with the fact that, in most kingdoms, you're considered an adult when you're eighteen." Gaav explained; it was the only explanation the Water Dragon King had given the Devil Dragon King.

"That seems really young," Phibrizzo remarked. "Humans are really cruel to their offspring, aren't they?"

"It's not that young for humans" Gaav replied, "By eighteen their bodies are nearly fully-grown."

Marinnie paled.

"I-I can't grow up!" The Hellmaster protested, "I don't want to grow up! I won't grow up!"

"What?" Gaav asked, taken aback at the Hellmaster's reaction, "Don't you want to get your power back?"

"Yes, I want my power back; but not at the price of growing up!" Marinnie returned shrilly.

"What's wrong with growing up?" Gaav inquired, absolutely befuddled by Phibrizzo's vehement rejection of the idea.

The child was quiet for a minute before whispering softly. Gaav strained to catch the single word that Phibrizzo mumbled several times over.

"Boobs?" Gaav repeated quizzically. "I like them as much as the next guy. Why?"

"No, it's why I don't want to grow up!" Marinnie corrected snappishly, "If I grow up, I'll have to go through puberty. PUBERTY, Gaav, PUBERTY!" She made an attempt at shaking him by his collar, but, since she couldn't reach, she had to make do with kicking his shins. "I have never, ever, had to go through anything remotely like puberty!" The Hellmaster unleashed a scream of utter frustration. Then Phibrizzo sank to the floor with a dramatic sigh, "And when a girl (for I am indeed a girl now) goes through puberty, she grows boobs. I don't want boobs."

"Maybe you can trade with Lina," Gaav suggested as he pulled a new can of beer out of his coat pocket.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Marinnie replied with dignity. "It's not the sort of thing you should suggest to a little girl."

The two Mazoku Lords were silent, Gaav chugged his beer and Phibrizzo dreaded the horrors of growing up as a female. Finally, a slight knock on the door interrupted the painful silence that had settled within the room. The doorknob turned and the rusty hinges protested as Val opened the door and peeked in.

"Now that all the screaming and ranting has stopped; is it safe for me to assume that your conversation is over, Lord Gaav?" the Ancient Dragon asked cheerfully.

"Huh?" Gaav blurted, looking at the dragon. "Oh, hi Val. Yeah, Phi-Mari… whatever-his-name-is-now is done talking at me."

"Good," Val smiled blissfully. Then the dragon boy turned his smile towards Marinnie, and the grin became rather malicious. "I'm glad you're done talking to Lord Gaav, Ms. Hellmaster Phibrizzo."

Marinnie yelped. "Y-you were eavesdropping!" She accused with a quiver in her voice.

"I was not eavesdropping," Val corrected smugly, "You were screaming loud enough for the entire neighborhood to hear you, Princess Phibrizzo." He twirled a strand of greenish hair around one finger. "Why, I wonder how Ms. Lina would react," He remarked, "Or, even better, your new mommy."

All the color drained from Marinnie's face as she imagined thousands of horrific scenarios.

"Don't worry," Valgaav said with mock kindness, "I was smart enough to ensure that they didn't hear you. I wisely cast a barrier to contain your shrill voice, Hellmaster."

"Thank you." Marinnie replied cautiously, something sinister gleamed in Val's amber eyes. "Um… why?"

"Because," Val said in a sing-song voice, "I despise you. I loathe your very existence. But I can't have you die yet, not when there's vengeance to be had."

'_There's something really wrong with the youth of today. I blame video games and memories from previous lives.' _Gaav mused, idly sipping his canned beer.

"If you hate me and you want vengeance, than why did you stop Lina from hearing me?" Marinnie asked, using one of Gaav's legs as a shield between herself and the Ancient Dragon.

"So I can blackmail you!" Val declared, as freakishly happy as Xelloss. "I'll hold this knowledge over your head until I get bored. You'll spend all day trying to keep me from talking to Ms. Lina or your mother. You won't be able to sleep well; your dreams will be haunted with the persistent fear that I will tell Ms. Lina Inverse all about your secret identity. And I shall relish every moment of your torment. You took Lord Gaav away, so I shall ruin your life." Valgaav cackled arrogantly.

"I won't have to worry about blackmail if I find some way to silence you first!" Phibrizzo yelled, lunging at the victorious young dragon.

"If you attack me, then I shall be obliged to murder you with my bare hands!" Val returned, lunging towards the reincarnated Hellmaster.

As much as he loved strife, a voice in his head (one that sounded suspiciously like Lina) informed him that there would be dire consequences in store if he let the two children murder one another. Gaav shoved his beer can into a pocket and hoisted the two children into the air.

For a heartbeat, all was calm. Marinnie and Val both hung limply in his grasp, watching the ground far below their feet. Then Val swung forward and kicked at Marinnie. She shrieked like a banshee and swung a small fist in his direction. Gaav reacted by holding the small bodies further apart. The solution was only temporary; his arms would only last for a few hours.

"Ros, Guil!" Gaav addressed the air, "Get up here!" His minions would come.

Obediently, the pair stepped out of a hole in the air and stood before him.

"Oh! Charades! I love charades!" Rosencrantz exclaimed, "You're pretending to be Libra from the zodiac! I'm right, aren't I?"

"No!" Gaav replied firmly, "Just take this." He thrust Marinnie at the pair unceremoniously.

"It's not ours," Guildenstern pointed out disdainfully, "It belongs to someone else."

"I know, I know!" Gaav snapped, "Just… entertain it for awhile. Keep it occupied. Distract it." Phibrizzo squirmed, still trying to attack Val.

"I think she's a little young to enjoy a strip show," Guildenstern said seriously, backing away from the girl.

"Don't worry; we have the ultimate tool for amusing small children!" Rosencrantz countered gleefully, "Just leave this to us, Lord Gaav!"

"Grand," Gaav grunted, dropping the princess into Guildenstern's reluctant arms. The Devil Dragon King marched out of the room and closed the door behind him.

He placed Val on the ground and the two stared at one another.

Through the door, Rosencrantz's voice was introducing a 'Tamora, Queen of the Goths'. Lina's voice drifted up the stairs, the sorceress was regaling her audience with tales of her adventures in the outer world. The clash of steel on steel and several masculine hollers sounded from the back lawn. The floorboards creaked below Gaav's feet.

"Ah," Val sighed, "Life is wonderful!" The young dragon smiled up at Gaav and tugged on the Devil Dragon King's coat. "Let's go outside, the weather is lovely."

"Sure…" Gaav mumbled as he trailed after the cheerful Val. _'I'll do anything to keep you away from Phibrizzo; having Lina's voice in my head was too creepy.'_

There was a golden smile.

……………………

The next two hours passed fairly uneventfully.

Milgasia finished the daily Sudoku puzzle in the newspaper and moved on to work through his book of Sudoku puzzles.

Martina made Zoamelgustar shaped cookies and was half-way through painting them before Filia informed her that the paint she used for her pottery was inedible. Zangulas ate some of Martina's cookies without the paint and then drank several liters of water trying to wash the taste out of his mouth.

Amelia toured the town while Zelgadis raided the local bookstore. Lina and Gourry kindly bought groceries for Filia… using Amelia's money.

Xelloss sat in a tree and calculated.

The time passed in a manner that could almost be called 'calm'.

And then it was time for dinner.

Marinnie stalked downstairs in a foul mood and sat at her place glaring at her soup spoon. Lina and Gourry banged their dining utensils on the table and chanted for Filia to bring out the food. Martina and Zangulas began acting particularly sappy, which only served to make Marinnie even more irritable. Amelia told Zelgadis about her tour of the town and which libraries she thought they should hit.

The Mazoku and the dragons came towards the table too slowly for Lina's tastes and a short 'fireball warning' went into effect. Very soon after, thirteen people sat at Filia's table waiting for Filia to bring out the food.

"You know," Filia remarked as she placed a platter of herb-roasted lamb chops next to a bowl of wild rice, "If someone helped me, then the food would be out faster."

"And if you didn't go through the trouble of walking back and forth, then the food would be out faster." Xelloss countered smugly. To prove his point, Xelloss phased into the kitchen and returned with a pewter tureen full of stew. Filia rolled her eyes and strolled into her kitchen to fetch a second platter of lamb.

As soon as the food was on the table, Lina and Gourry pounced upon it. Milgasia had the misfortune to be sitting next to Lina, and his golden eyes wide as he watched her savage assault on the defenseless lamb chops. Guildenstern had the misfortune to be sitting next to Gourry; as the blonde warrior attacked the stew, Guildenstern wondered how much it would cost to get his robes dry cleaned.

It didn't look like anyone else would get to eat for awhile… But Filia had planned ahead. While Lina and Gourry fought over the food on the dining room table, Filia motioned for her family and the rest of her guests to go to the kitchen to get dinner. It normally wasn't as pleasant to eat dinner in the kitchen, but Lina had a habit of disrupting the 'normal'.

'_It's good to plan ahead,'_ Filia mused as she watched Lina and Gourry shovel chunks of lamb down their throats, _'Although Ms. Lina certainly makes it difficult.'_

Marinnie glared at Gaav while the two Mazoku Lords waited in the kitchen.

"What?" Gaav hissed quietly, "Is something wrong with you?"

"Your minions are all insane." Phibrizzo whispered back. "I used to like 'Titus Andronicus'. It has a spectacular body count, at least fourteen bodies by the end."

"Yeah? So?" Gaav prompted.

Marinnie stuck her bottom lip out in an overdone pout. "It's not supposed to be done with sock puppets." The Hellmaster whined, "Sock puppets ruin everything."

"Oh." Gaav replied eloquently as he piled mashed potatoes onto his plate. Marinnie cast several evil looks over at Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, silently cursing them.

The sounds of frenzied eating and indignant screeches echoed through the house while the twelve others munched thoughtfully on the spare food while standing in the kitchen.

Milgasia pulled out his Sudoku book and Zelgadis fished a book titled 'Chicken Soup for the Chimera's Soul' out of his cloak. Zangulas and Martina shared a single plate and giggled together in an irritating fashion. Val sat next to Filia, smiling innocently as Marinnie's catlike eyes watched fearfully. Amelia lectured an enthusiastic Rosencrantz, a disdainful Guildenstern, and an inattentive Gaav about the virtues of pacifism and Justice. Xelloss stood by the window, looking out into the summer twilight.

'_One day down,'_ The Mazoku thought to his smiling mask's reflection, _'Only six days left.'_ His violet eyes scrutinized the assembled group. _'I will not fail.'_

……………………

**Author's Note to the Wonderful Reader:** I'm sorry this chapter took awhile, I'm sorry if it isn't that good, and I'm sorry this chapter is shorter than the previous two. I apologize if the characters are out of character and I'm sorry that Lina didn't get many lines. I hope you can forgive me and continue to wait for the next chapters, I think I'm about halfway through this story.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future. I am not William Shakespeare.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_Day Two: Poor Yorick._

……

His vacant blue eyes watched as a fly buzzed against the window. The insect strived to escape the hush of the dark library, it longed to return to the sunlight and fresh air. It threw itself towards the frustrating glass that separated it from freedom, buzzing all the way.

Mercy, or maybe sympathy, or perhaps a bit of both, tugged at him. Gourry walked over and opened the window. The fly flew into the summer air with a small hum of gratitude.

Zelgadis looked up from his tome with a quizzical expression.

"Is everything alright?" The chimera inquired, not bothering to hide a tone of exasperation. Gourry kept moving around! It seemed as though the blonde couldn't sit down and enjoy a good book.

"Huh? Oh, I'm fine. I just wanted some fresh air," Gourry explained blandly as he closed the window.

"I see." Zelgadis replied before returning to his book.

Gourry opened his mouth, considered, closed his mouth, and plopped down in his seat with an unhappy sigh of one who longs for entertainment. He twiddled his thumbs for a minute before beginning to bounce in his seat and jiggle the table.

Zelgadis closed his book and stared at the blonde swordsman.

"You don't have to be here." The chimera pointed out, "No one is forcing you to sit there; you were the one that wanted to come."

"Oh," Gourry chuckled sheepishly, "Am I bugging you, Zel?"

"A bit, yes," Zelgadis answered bluntly.

Gourry grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry, Zel." Gourry apologized, "I didn't want to fight Zangulas again."

"It's okay," Zelgadis said grudgingly, "But I'd prefer it if you read a book instead of fidgeting around. I'm sure they have some books you'd like, you can ask the librarian for help."

"Sure," Gourry smiled, glad that Zelgadis wasn't too annoyed. He stood up and meandered off into the thicket of bookshelves.

Satisfied, Zelgadis resumed reading 'A Scientific Examination of Magical and Magically-Created Life Forms'.

The back of his mind noted when Gourry returned from his exploration of the Ubiety library several minutes later. However, Zelgadis' conscious mind was too engrossed in the section describing the chemical composition and altered genetic sequence of a lesser demon and sea cucumber hybrid to greet his friend.

Gourry sat down, closed his eyes, and opened to a random point in the book. He scanned the page, smiled, and began to read the poetry of Lei Magnus.

Zelgadis looked up from his text the instant Gourry's leg began to shake the table. It was hard enough to read the cramped handwriting in his book without the entire thing bouncing up and down.

"Gourry, please stop moving the desk." Zelgadis requested.

Gourry looked up from the collection of poetry with a happy grin.

"Look Zel," The swordsman declared, "It says we're snowflakes!" To prove his point, Gourry thrust the book towards his grumpy companion.

"Snowflakes?" Zelgadis echoed incredulously, "What makes you say we're snowflakes?"

Gourry beamed and read aloud from the Lei Magnus' book:

_"Lina and her friends_

_Are like little flakes of snow_

_They stick together._

_But, since it's Lina,_

_All the snow flakes will become_

_A big avalanche."_

Gourry grinned, "Isn't it cool? He even wrote it in haiku!"

Zelgadis took the slender book from Gourry and read the poems several times. Then he read the opinions of various professional poets over the last millennia. Then he reread the poems. It was beyond highly suspicious, highly suspicious didn't even begin to describe the poems.

Zelgadis placed the book down with a groan. This was just the sort of clue that God (or, infinitely more likely, Xelloss) would drop to say "Ha, ha, I'm using you in a sinister plot and there's nothing you can do! Ha, ha!"

It bugged Zelgadis. It was so annoying that it didn't just get under his impenetrable skin; it wormed its way into his internal organs and gnawed at him as if it could see the end coming. Maybe their end was coming.

"Say, Gourry," Zelgadis ventured, hoping for a decent conversation. "Doesn't it seem odd that we're running into so many people?"

"Huh?" Gourry asked. His expression begged the chimera for an explanation.

"First I was reunited with Amelia. A few days later, I ran into, or rather, Lina ran me over. You and Gaav were also traveling with Lina." Zelgadis counted them off on his fingers. "Shortly after that, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern appeared and joined our band of merry travelers. We ran into Grabos a few days later and immediately afterwards we set off towards Ubiety. Once we reached Ubiety, we found that our old friends Martina and Zangulas were staying with Filia. Additionally, Milgasia and Xelloss were also gathered at Filia's house."

"Wow," Gourry remarked, "We've been pretty lucky, haven't we?"

"Does it seem like luck to you?" Zelgadis asked, "I don't think luck is the reason that we're meeting so many friends and acquaintances all at once. It seems too fortunate and easy, like someone is drawing us together for some malevolent purpose."

"Oh, come on!" Gourry laughed, "I think you're being too much of a worrywart."

Zelgadis frowned. Even though he sometimes wondered about Gourry's mental prowess, he thought he could rely on Gourry's instincts. Gourry usually detected important details that everyone else missed.

"Gourry," Zelgadis began slowly. Maybe if he pointed one thing out, then Gourry would recall something related. "Doesn't it seem odd that we've been traveling for several days on end without having some immensely powerful entity trying to kill us? The most powerful enemies we've faced lately have all been bandits, and Lina attacked them first."

"Well, yeah-" Gourry remarked.

"No one has attacked us yet. On top of that, we're running into friends and acquaintances like it's going out of fashion," Zelgadis interrupted, moving towards rant mode. "We've been lucky so far, but there's nothing that says that we can't run into someone hostile. If Gaav came back, then it's possible that any of the Mazoku we've killed could come back. Maybe someone like Rezo or the Hellmaster came back and is plotting revenge. Maybe someone has been manipulating us, moving us like pawns until we're all in one place before they come to kill us."

"Maybe," Gourry shrugged. "But I can't see why. If someone wanted to kill us it'd be harder if we were all together. It's almost impossible to kill us when we're all together."

"So you think this is all a string of fortunate but entirely unrelated coincidences?" Zelgadis demanded, ignoring the librarian's plea for indoor voices. "Mark my words, someone is biding their time and waiting for a chance to attack. Doesn't it strike you as even slightly suspicious with the big reunion and the unnatural calm occurring at the same time?"

Gourry blinked at Zelgadis' concern.

"Of course it's suspicious, Zel!" Gourry replied, "I just said that you're worrying too much."

"I'm glad you understand how troublesome things have become," Zelgadis said, mildly relieved. "However, I don't understand how you can be so laid back."

"Easy!" Gourry proclaimed with a grin, "Lina's involved. Everything will be okay at the end."

Zelgadis didn't know whether to admire Gourry's faith in Lina or to laugh at the notion of things being safe because of Lina.

"I wish I had your conviction, I'd be nice to be capable of believing in someone so much." Zelgadis remarked, "Unfortunately, the way I see it, Lina is generally a sign of trouble."

Gourry laughed, great bellyfuls of mirth pealing out into the gloom of the dusty library. Zelgadis chuckled quietly along with Gourry's immense joy. After a minute of amicable amusement the two men quieted, much to the relief of the frazzled librarian.

Silence settled upon the library once more.

The small sound of a fly caught Zelgadis' attention and he turned to seek out the source of disruption.

He watched as the fly buzzed against the window. The insect's hum was the plaintive wail of the unfairly imprisoned. It cried its sorrow to the glass separating it from the fresh air and freedom it was accustomed to.

Gourry's hand opened the window to release the insignificant insect and the bug's wings murmured a buzz of joy as it disappeared into the sky.

"Why did you do that?" Zelgadis inquired, genuinely interested.

"Because I could," Gourry admitted awkwardly. "And because I felt sorry for it. It's hard to stay indoors on a day like today, especially if you're used to the touch of the breeze and the smell of the clouds."

"It was just a fly; it used to be a maggot. Besides, it wasn't smart enough to know where it was." Zelgadis informed the blonde silhouetted in the sunshine streaming in through the lone window. "There was no need to pity it."

"So? I don't usually worry about reasons." The statement was casual, but Zelgadis sensed that there was a great deal of thought behind it.

"Ah…" The chimera mumbled, unwilling to press the cheerful swordsman. Zelgadis' eyes wandered past Gourry and out to the sun soaked day.

He could see how much Gourry wanted to run outside and fill his lungs with the summer air; in fact, Zelgadis found himself tempted by the sunlight. The day reprimanded him for hiding among the dusty tomes and the breeze scolded him for ignoring her.

The book, 'A Scientific Examination of Magical and Magically-Created Life Forms', sat on the table. The heavy, cream colored pages and the cramped, black ink writing hinted at a hope for hope. The monotonous voice of the tome called to him, notifying him that there was a chance that, among its numerous pages, a clue to finding a cure for his curse could exist.

Zelgadis wavered, unsure.

On one hand, he longed to be released from his unnatural form. On the other hand, he didn't want to live without enjoying the life he had.

"The book will be here later," Gourry pointed out logically, "The day only last for awhile."

Zelgadis nodded. Gourry smiled.

The warm summer breeze danced down the town's streets.

"Hey, why don't we go fishing?"

……………………

Lina and Amelia sighed blissfully as they slid into the hot spring. Filia had opted for an extra massage and Martina had insisted on a pedicure, so Amelia and Lina had left the other two and gone to the hot springs.

"Spectacular…" Lina murmured.

She had originally been against spending money on a massage and a manicure. But the instant Amelia had mentioned the hot springs, Lina had decided to come. After all, it had been awhile since Lina had enjoyed a good soak in a hot spring, and Martina would end up with the bill if it was the last thing Lina did.

"It's so relaxing…" Amelia agreed. "And I think this herbal blend was imported all the way from Mipross. Y'know, Mipross is famous for its numerous hot springs."

"I know," Lina stated. She remembered the Mipross hot springs very well. Especially one so called 'Spring of Growth'…

Amelia and Lina grew quiet, content to soak in the water and relax. For nearly two minutes, the only sound in the hot springs was the gurgle and hiss of the hot water.

Amelia broke the silence.

"Isn't it wonderful how we keep running into people we know?"

"Hm?" Lina responded eloquently.

"First I ran into Mr. Zelgadis and then we ran into you, Mr. Gourry, and Mr. Gaav," Amelia started, smiling happily. "Then we met Mr. or Ms. Rosencrantz and Mr. or Ms. Guildenstern, both of whom worked at Seyruun and serve Mr. Gaav. Then we came to Ms. Filia's house and we found ourselves reunited with Mr. Xelloss, Mr. Milgasia, Ms. Martina, and Mr. Zangulas." Amelia smiled blissfully, "It's a big reunion."

"Yeah," Lina agreed, "The big reunion is pretty useful. It's nice as long as I don't have to pay for any meals."

Amelia rolled her eyes and muttered something like 'Typical Lina' under her breath.

"So, who do you think we'll run into next?" Amelia pressed, "Maybe Ms. Sylphiel or my sister. Or maybe we'll finally meet Ms. Luna!"

"Oh, Gods, let's hope we don't run into my sister…" Lina muttered, shuddering.

Amelia giggled slightly, wondering what kind of person could terrify Lina so much.

"Say, Ms. Lina? May I ask a favor?" Amelia inquired. "Can you ask Mr. Milgasia to let Mr. Zelgadis speak to the Claire Bible?"

"Why?" Lina asked back.

"Because, the Claire Bible might be able to tell Mr. Zelgadis how to cure his body." Amelia answered.

"If Zel wants to see the Claire Bible, then he's gonna have to be the one to speak to Milgasia." Lina replied.

"But, Ms. Lina," Amelia said, "What if Mr. Zelgadis forgot about Mr. Milgasia's connection to the Claire Bible?"

"Amelia," Lina responded, enunciating each syllable in her friend's name. "Does Zel seem like the kind of guy to forget important people or events?" Lina paused for a second so Amelia would have enough time to shake her head. "Exactly, Zel's memory is one of the best. He probably has a reason why he isn't asking Milgasia for help."

"I don't understand Mr. Zelgadis very well…" Amelia confessed sadly, "I thought he wanted to cure his body. Why wouldn't he want to use the Claire Bible?"

Lina smirked mischievously.

"Do you want to know what I think his reason is?" Lina teased. After all of Amelia's hinting about her opinion on Lina and Gourry's relationship over the years, Lina finally had a chance to strike back. "I think he doesn't want to ask Milgasia for help because that would take away his one excuse to spend so much time in a library with you."

Amelia propelled herself across the hot spring as Lina invaded her personal bubble.

"What are you talking about?" Amelia stammered, her face flushed as crimson as Lina's eyes. "What makes you think Mr. Zelgadis likes to spend time in the library with me?"

Lina stood up and laughed arrogantly in a manner that reminded Amelia of her older sister.

"Amelia, Amelia, Amelia." Lina chided cheerfully, wagging a finger at the princess. "How can you be so blind? Zel likes you! He likes sitting in the library with you!"

Lina began to sing about 'Amelia and Zelgadis sitting in a tree' when Amelia stood up and splashed Lina in the face with a wave of water.

Lina blinked in surprise, suddenly worried that she had offended Amelia. Fortunately, the princess wasn't crying. Amelia was blushing and grinning at the same time.

Lina grinned and splashed Amelia. Amelia countered with another wave. Filia poked her head around the corner and received a face full of water.

Lina and Amelia both froze guiltily, wary of the dragon's temper.

"Oh," Filia remarked, pulling a Super-Soaker out of her bag, "It's on now, Ms. Lina, Ms. Amelia."

……………………

"Gah…" Zangulas gasped as his sword flew out of his hand for the umpteenth time. He watched, mildly dismayed, as the Howling Sword spiraled through the air and landed on the ground several feet away.

Gourry had left immediately after breakfast along with Zelgadis, and Zangulas had no idea where they had gone. Martina, Lina, Amelia, and Filia had gone off, declaring the day a 'Girl's Day Out'. Xelloss, Milgasia and the two Seyruun mages were all deeply engaged in a game of Scrabble. Marinnie kept herself busy by building intricate houses from an unlimited supply of cards and demolishing Val's card houses whenever he looked away.

The only person that Zangulas could even hold a conversation with was the enormous redhead that had been traveling with Lina and Gourry.

Of course, Zangulas was a firm believer in the theory that actions speak louder than words. He challenged Gaav to a duel instead of attempting to deal with irritating small talk that generally came before an actual conversation with a stranger.

"You're pretty good…" Zangulas remarked as he wheezed, trying to catch his breath.

"I've beaten you thirty-eight times in the last hour, and I haven't even been trying to kill you. Aren't a bit better than 'pretty good'?" Gaav asked incredulously.

According to Lina, Zangulas was obsessed with beating Gourry because he had lost several fights a few years ago. Gaav had defeated Zangulas more times in the past hour than Gourry had in eight years. What kind of logic led to Zangulas declaring Gaav as only 'pretty good'?

"Well," Zangulas said, "My beautiful wife told me that you're a Mazoku. Since you're a Mazoku, you've had a lot more time to work on your swordsmanship and you're also naturally stronger than any normal human could ever hope to be. So, even if you're far beyond 'pretty good', I can't compare you to a human swordsman or I'll end up going crazy." Zangulas nodded as though his reasoning was both logical and poetic.

"Oh." Gaav commented.

"Say…" Zangulas drawled, stretching his tense muscles, "Did I tell you that I'm a father?"

"No." Gaav answered, sheathing his blade as he realized that Zangulas was not up for any more dueling for awhile.

"Yes, I'm a father. My baby girl is the cutest thing in the world!" Zangulas declared, sounding even prouder than he would if he had just beaten Gourry. The swordsman stood up, removed his hat, rummaged around inside it, and pulled several pictures out. He grinned and displayed them for the Devil Dragon King to see.

"This is from her second birthday, this is when we dressed her as an angel for Halloween when she was three, this is from our vacation in Sairaag, and this one is from when the castle collapsed!" Zangulas explained as he flipped through the various photographs. Gaav stared at the pictures of Marinnie as Zangulas began to babble about how cute she was when the castle collapsed.

The Devil Dragon King snorted. Phibrizzo looked downright miserable in every single photo. _'I'm not holding a grudge or anything, but it serves him right.'_

Despite the rather extreme height difference, Zangulas suddenly managed to tower over the Mazoku Lord, it was an odd experience as far as Gaav was concerned. Zangulas' aura of fury warped the air around them and the screams of the damned drifted through the air.

"Did you just laugh at my baby girl?" Zangulas demanded in a calm voice, "Did you just laugh at the bundle of joy that is the result of my union with my divine wife? Did you? DID YOU?"

"No." Gaav lied, "I have hay fever. I was trying not to sneeze on those adorable pictures."

"Oh, thanks." Zangulas said, pacified by the Devil Dragon King's fib. "Say, did I tell you about the time that Marinnie made the ambassador from Sandoria give her a piggy-back ride all around the capital of Xoana? Well, this guy comes and Marinnie-"

"That's nice." Gaav interrupted as a question popped into his mind. "Say, has she ever seemed unusual? Did she start talking really early and stuff like that?"

"Yes, Marinnie started to speak a week after she was born and she was talking in complete sentences by the time she was three months old! She was even potty trained at about the same time she could walk!" Zangulas admitted gleefully.

"Doesn't that seem a little odd?" Gaav prompted.

Zangulas flipped his black hair into the air pointlessly. "Odd? Of course not! It's only to be expected! After all, her parents are both geniuses!"

Gaav blinked, waiting for Zangulas to pull a Milgasia and announce 'Just kidding'. Zangulas was not joking.

"So," Zangulas began anew, "Let me tell you about this one time we went to the zoo…"

……………………

Sylphiel meandered through the streets of Seyruun under the late afternoon sunlight, remembering the last time she had been in the city. She paused to stare towards the Seyruun royal palace in the center of the city. Passing pedestrians jostled the shrine maiden as they wandered swiftly around the city, but Sylphiel hardly noticed them.

"I should probably go to see my Grandfather…" the shrine maiden mused to Flagoon's seed. "I'm sure he'd be surprised to see me, and he could help me find Ms. Lina." She closed her eyes and prayed that it was not too late to find Lina. Sylphiel turned and walked into the barrel chest of a large man.

Her eyes flew open and she looked up.

"M- Mr. Phil?" The stunned shrine maiden stammered, staring at the Crown Prince of Seyruun.

He wasn't dressed in formal court attire; if Sylphiel didn't know him, then she would've mistaken him for a bandit leader or something. Of course, no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't forget the face of a real prince.

"Hello," he grinned widely, revealing his less-than-perfect teeth. "How nice to see you in our city, Ms. Sylphiel! To what do we owe this honor? Are you going to see Mr. Gray?" He smiled brightly, looking as though he would run off and fetch Mr. Gray if Sylphiel asked him to.

"Um… oh… I should…" Sylphiel stammered. It was fine for Amelia or Lina to have that much energy, but a fifty-year-old man that energetic was mildly intimidating. "But… do you know where Ms. Lina is? I need to speak with her, it's dreadfully important…"

Phil rubbed the stubble on his chin and frowned. Sylphiel seemed genuinely worried about something.

"Well, I don't know where she is, but if you give us a few days we can locate her." Phil offered kindly. He didn't know the shrine maiden well, but it was his policy to help those in need. Also, looking for Lina was a good excuse to go looking for Amelia.

"Um… thank you, Mr. Phil," Sylphiel replied as she grew more comfortable speaking to Amelia's father. The man didn't look like a prince, but at least he tried to act like one.

"It's nothing, it's nothing!" The prince laughed, "Do you want me to walk you to your Grandfather's house or would you like to meet him at the palace?"

"That's very kind of you, Mr. Phil. If it's okay for me to go to the palace, then I would like to do that. I should see Grandfather as soon as possible." Sylphiel responded.

"Sure, sure!" Phil chuckled, "I wonder how Chris will look when he sees me walk in with a pretty young girl keeping me company? I'm joking of course!" The prince laughed heartily as he began walking towards the palace with Sylphiel in tow.

'_I hope everything works out…' _Sylphiel thought as she followed Amelia's father through the streets of Seyruun. She clasped Flagoon's seed in her spare hand and prayed, _'Please, let everything work out. Please, don't let it be too late to save anyone. If everything works out, I might even consider calling Mr. Phil a… …prince…'_

……………………

As Lina, Amelia, Filia, and Martina entered the house they heard Xelloss shout the word "Odium!" in a cheery voice. Curious, the four women poked their heads around the corner.

"Olive." Milgasia replied as he added two extra wooden tiles on to the Scrabble board.

"Mourn," Rosencrantz crowed, added placing several tiles down.

"Horror," Guildenstern declared gustily.

"Weren't you playing Scrabble this morning?" Lina asked incredulously. The three Mazoku and the single Golden Dragon looked up at the sorceress.

"Yes." Milgasia replied calmly.

"If we live for all eternity, then spending an entire day playing Scrabble is nothing." Xelloss added cheerfully. "Wrath," he stated, placing a few new tiles onto the board.

"Whatever," Lina shrugged. "It's time for dinner now, I hope you're hungry."

"Hungry?" Rosencrantz and Guildenstern echoed in synchrony, "Goodness, we're starving! We've only made food themed words for the last five games!"

"How do you eat 'wrath'?" Martina asked.

"Oh, it's a detailed process." Gaav's minions assured her, "And most humans starve themselves to death after we describe it!"

"Hi, Lina!" Gourry interrupted before Rosencrantz and Guildenstern launched into an explanation about the digestive process of a Mazoku.

"Hi, Gourry!" Lina greeted, thankful that his timely entrance had protected her from learning more about Mazoku that she ever wanted to know. The two minions nodded at one another before sitting back and watching.

"Is it time for dinner?" Gourry asked, his voice making it obvious that he really hoped it was time for dinner.

"Yes," Lina replied, "Gather the troops; we're going out for dinner! Last one back gets a Dragon Slave." She shouted to her assembled friends.

Martina ran off to find Marinnie, Filia went in search of Val, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern volunteered to get Gaav, Milgasia offered to pass the word on to Zangulas, and Xelloss phased over to the nearest restaurant to give them fair warning.

Lina, Amelia, Zelgadis, and Gourry stood by the abandoned Scrabble board looking at one another.

"So, how was your day, Mr. Zelgadis?" Amelia asked.

"Fine," He replied, "Fishing is a far more enjoyable sport when I'm not the anchor."

"You had a good day?" Lina asked Gourry. He nodded and ran a hand through her hair.

A blissful lack of unnecessary words surrounded the four for a few heartbeats.

Then the ten other people returned, bringing a whirlwind of noise and commotion with them. No one enjoys a Dragon Slave.

"Dinner time!" Lina proclaimed loudly as she led the parade of humans, demons, and dragons towards a restaurant with cowering chefs and a soon-to-be-bankrupt owner.

……………………

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ran away approximately twenty-eight seconds after the first plate touched the table.

"Sorry," they announced, "But it's difficult for lower-level demons, such as we are, to regenerate missing limbs. We're going to get coffee and wait somewhere else." And with that they vanished.

No one paid them much mind. After traveling with Xelloss, all of Lina's friends were used to Mazoku wandering in and out whenever they pleased.

Lina, Gourry, Amelia, Zangulas, and Gaav were all too busy fighting over the food. Filia, Milgasia, and Zelgadis sat at a different table and made a point of enjoying their tea or coffee and civil small talk. Martina kept trying to feed Marinnie broccoli and Marinnie kept trying to keep Val from speaking to Martina.

No one really worried when Xelloss disappeared a few seconds after Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

Everything seemed so typical.

……………………

Gaav's two minions sat on a park bench, gazing up at the crescent moon through the leaves of an ancient oak tree and flipping a coin.

"Heads. Do you think he's coming?" Rosencrantz wondered.

"Who? Godot? Oh, it's heads." Guildenstern responded.

"No, Xelloss. Heads."

"Oh, him? Probably. Heads again."

An icy wind rattled the oak tree and the shadows behind the pair grew and twisted. Heartless amethyst eyes considered Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.

"Good evening," Xelloss hailed amicably, "I hope you haven't been waiting too long."

"Goodness, he actually came!" The pair remarked to one another as they stood up to face the Lesser Beast.

"Can I assume that you wanted to speak to me?" Xelloss asked calmly, smiling the entire time. The two lower-level demons glanced uneasily at one another before nodding at the Trickster Priest.

"We'd just wanted to tell you that you have the smile of a traitor," Guildenstern informed him.

"We thought you'd be plotting something vile, vicious, and absolutely intriguing," Rosencrantz added.

"And the point of telling me this is…?" Xelloss prompted, still smiling.

"For one, we thought we'd try to unravel your plot and unpeel the layers of your thoughts," Guildenstern remarked.

"You speak as though I'm an onion!" Xelloss said, feigning offense. "Don't you know what happens if you keep unpeeling an onion?"

"Nothing's left, right?" Rosencrantz attempted.

"And you end up in tears." Xelloss replied, opening a frigid purple eye to regard them.

"Oh, that's really good!" Rosencrantz remarked obtusely, "You'll have to write that one down!"

"Why thank you," Xelloss smiled, bowing with a dramatic flourish. "Would you mind telling me just what you think you've figured out about my schemes?"

"You received an order that you must obey despite your objections," Guildenstern analyzed, "You intend to follow the unwelcome task literally but also act in few extra scenes on the side and thereby botch up the intentions of the distasteful plan."

"There's going to be a victim, a sacrifice, but, if you have your way, you won't lose any of your favorite toys," Rosencrantz continued.

"We're right, aren't we?" The two asked simultaneously.

"Close, surprisingly close," Xelloss complimented. "Unfortunately, you're too close. I'm afraid I need you to disappear now."

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern both grinned as though relieved.

"Disappear? Sure thing!" Rosencrantz exclaimed willingly.

"You want us to die, right?" Guildenstern continued.

"Well, yes," Xelloss replied, mildly confused by their cooperation.

"That's wonderful, a death scene! I love doing the death scenes!" Rosencrantz announced gleefully, clapping her hands together. "It brings out the best in us!"

"Do you have any particular way you want us to die?" Guildenstern asked. "We have an extensive repertoire if you're interested."

"How can you be so willing to die?" Xelloss asked, his curiosity piqued.

"It's because we've done this before, dying that is. They say a coward dies many times before they're dead, and even when you think they're dead it's a good idea to double check," Guildenstern returned.

"Besides, we're side characters," Rosencrantz explained, "We're here to rack up the body count, it's our job, our role in this play."

"Side characters?" Xelloss echoed.

"Yes, that's right," Guildenstern answered, "We're side characters."

"It's the fate of a side character to stumble up on stage, unaware of the script, out of character, and wearing the wrong costume." Rosencrantz explained eagerly, as though she had been waiting to speak since the beginning of time.

"It's all a side character can do to blurt out a few witty quips, paraphrase a soliloquy or two, and imitate a few banal lines in hopes of sounding either intelligent or important." Guildenstern pointed out glumly. "Then we step back, become a part of the everyday scenery, and wait."

Rosencrantz nodded, "We have to wait for a long time. But eventually someone with icy hands, a black cloak, a pretty scythe, and an impeccable sense of timing calls to us from off-stage: 'Hey, you! Yeah, you! You've almost missed your cue! You've got some dust to bite! C'mon, go on, exit stage right!' and then we're done waiting until the next rehearsal."

"I see," Xelloss stated, "That's rather interesting logic you have there."

"We've had ages to come up with it," Guildenstern confided.

"So, now that you understand, is there any particular way you want us to 'exit stage right'?" Rosencrantz asked cheerfully.

"We've done lots of different deaths before," Guildenstern added.

"Indeed!" Rosencrantz agreed.

The pair stood back to back and mimicked a pose of someone engaged in deep thought.

"Why, there's death by stabbing, death by poison, death by drowning, and death by suspension to name a few of our favorites." Rosencrantz and Guildenstern informed the Xelloss, the summer night, and an invisible audience. "Of course, we can do other deaths too. We've also done death by explosion, implosion, asphyxiation, execution, malnutrition, and exposure. There's loads more deaths as well, deaths for all ages and occasions!"

"We can do comedic deaths, tragic deaths, romantic deaths, gory deaths; you name the adjective and leave the dying to us!" Rosencrantz declared, a note of plaintive desperation seeping into her words.

"We've done more deaths than we can count," Guildenstern observed mournfully, "Everything from climatic carnage to bumbling mistake. We're practically professionals at this 'dying' thing by now."

"Don't worry," Rosencrantz piped up perkily, "We're very good at looking convincing! We've even had our obituaries published twice!"

Their twin sets of grey eyes stared directly into Xelloss' concealed violet gaze.

"So," Their single tone grew serious and straightforward. "How would you like us to die, Mr. Xelloss?"

Xelloss made a show of considering their selection of various 'deaths' before smiling cruelly.

"Real death."

"Pardon?" They inquired as one, "What did you just say?"

"Real death," Xelloss reiterated, "I want you two to really die. None of your 'waiting for the next rehearsal' or 'looking convincing', I want to see the real performance, the real end of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern."

"Surely you jest!" They tittered nervously, backing away from the calm Trickster Priest. "Why would you want us to really die?"

"Because," Xelloss sighed in mock exasperation, "You tried to figure me out. You almost figured me out. And, unfortunately, I'm very petty when it comes to secrets. If someone tries to take my secrets away then I will kill them." He shook his head, his dark bangs obscuring his open eyes. "You were so close to figuring out my plan that I must eliminate you."

"Oh, come on!" Guildenstern interrupted, "You can't be serious! Real death? Real death? Death is not a game which will soon be over… death is… it's the absence of presence, isn't it?"

"It's that undiscovered, unknown, and unwelcome emptiness," Rosencrantz continued desperately, "No one gets up after death. No one knows what dreams may come when we have shuffled off this mortal coil. There's no applause for the deceased, once you're dead, you're dead! There's nothing after that, is there?"

"I wouldn't know," Xelloss remarked, "But don't worry, you'll have one another. If all goes well for my schemes, then Gaav might even join you for awhile. If things don't go so well, then Ms. Lina and her friends might also be joining you in the afterlife." Xelloss frowned mockingly, "Did I just go and TELL you something about my schemes? Dear me, I really must kill you now."

"Y-you'd even kill Lord Gaav?" Rosencrantz sputtered, torn between fear and fury.

"Willingly." Xelloss admitted.

"And Ms. Lina and her companions if you had to?" Guildenstern demanded, his voice quivering slightly.

"If I had to." Xelloss smiled, "Orders are orders."

"You frumious Bandersnatch! You're absolutely bonkers!" Rosencrantz cried.

"I'm not bonkers," Xelloss corrected, relishing their terror, "I'm a Mazoku."

"That's even worse; you can't medicate that sort of condition…" Guildenstern muttered.

"Do you really want to insult me?" Xelloss asked laughingly. "You are aware that I can kill you effortlessly."

"You're going to kill us anyway, what does it matter what we do now? What does anything matter?" Guildenstern retorted bitterly. "Now that we teeter on the precipice between existence and extinction, the statement 'Matter neither be created nor destroyed' is proved irrevocably false! Nothing matters now and soon there will be nothing at all."

"We're really going to die, aren't we? There will be no applause, no encore, no tears, no flowers, no getting up and walking out of the theater; just… silence and second-hand clothes." Rosencrantz mused. She frowned and glared at the smiling Beast Priest. "You've been out to get us from the very beginning, haven't you? Even when you stood by the window in Seyruun while wearing a different face, you were plotting to murder us!"

"Perhaps I was," Xelloss replied, "Perhaps I wasn't. Maybe this is your fate, your punishment for faking death. Perhaps there is no fate and this is an absurd insult from an uncaring universe; but don't worry, you're only side characters. Your deaths won't affect the plot."

An inky blackness rose from the ground around their feet and climbed around their bodies. The shadows sunk into their arms and legs and tore away the appendages away slowly. Xelloss savored their pain as he had savored the pain of all of his victims.

"So this is dying," Guildenstern choked, "Fine. To tell you the truth, I'm relieved. I've had enough."

"Well, Guil? Shall we go?" Rosencrantz remarked as she disintegrated, "Yes," She replied to her own query, "Let's go."

Xelloss waved as darkness consumed the pair of lower-level Mazoku.

"Since you shadows did offend me; then I must force amends. Goodnight unto you all," He remarked brightly as they drifted apart.

He sat down on the park bench, pulled out his day planner, and crossed out another day.

"Two days down," He notified the gnarled oak tree, "Five days left. I'm afraid those two fools acted too soon."

……………………

**Author's (Super-sized) Note to the Benevolent Reader:** First things first, I'm going to attempt to not apologize for this chapter. This doesn't mean that I'm confident about this chapter; it just means that I'm trying something different. Please bear with me.

I have several legitimate reasons as to why it has taken me awhile to write and post. First of which is applying to college. Secondly, school finals are approaching faster than the laws of the universe ought to allow. Thirdly, it is the time of year that I begin to sell Girl Scout cookies around the neighborhood. Finally, this is the third attempt at this particular chapter. It is my desire to be more efficient with future chapters.

Um… I liked giving Rosencrantz and Guildenstern a big scene before they died; I tossed in a lot of lines from Tom Stoppard's "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead", a few lines from "Hamlet" by Mr. William Shakespeare, and a line or reference to several other works of literature. I felt a little bad about killing Rosencrantz and Guildenstern since they were my characters and thereby the characters I knew the best, but writing lines about the fate of a side character was a great deal of fun. Conversely, I felt a little bad about giving them so much time; I worried about them becoming somewhat 'Mary Sue'-ish… if that is the proper terminology.

Well, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are dead. (It is hard to describe the levels of joy that I feel merely by typing that statement.)

I enjoyed writing haiku and I liked putting Gourry and Zelgadis in the library and giving Filia a Super-Soaker. I worry that Sylphiel is out of character and that Xelloss seems to be bordering on psychotic and I think the scene with Lina and Amelia is the weakest in this chapter. But that is merely my opinion.

If there are errors, please notify me, I had to proofread myself and I dare say that isn't my forte.

Oh, additionally, being the genius that I am, it only just occurred to me that I have to actually press the button to enable anonymous reviews (It's not that I'm stupid, it just takes me twice as long as the average person to catch on to the obvious). Therefore, anonymous reviews are enabled. If it is your desire to send anonymous flames to me, so be it; I can only plea for a small measure of civility and sensitivity.

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance, I hope that I can continue to write in an acceptable manner. Please, have a nice day.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future. I am not William Shakespeare.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_We Hold The Truth._

……

Sunlight filtered through the glass prism hanging in Filia's kitchen window and cast rainbow polka-dots onto the pastel yellow walls. A pair of small, brown-speckled birds hopped along the outside of Filia's kitchen window sill, pecking at crumbs the dragon maiden had scattered for them. A magpie with shrewd eyes perched in her apple tree and regarded the smaller birds with a mildly amused air.

The eggs in the cast-iron frying pan sizzled as Milgasia prodded them with a spatula. Filia sighed and stared at the pile of pancakes she had created. The perfectly circular pancakes possessed a perfect golden-brown hue that made the artist in her proud.

Unfortunately the pancakes wouldn't last long in front of Lina and Gourry.

"Filia, I don't think the eggs are supposed to turn this color," Milgasia informed his niece blandly. "They've taken on a hue I associate with celery sticks."

"Add some ham and no one will know the difference," suggested Xelloss as he floated over to pour another cup of tea. "Would you like me to try my hand at cooking?"

"No," Filia responded swiftly, "I've had the misfortune of seeing what you consider 'cooking', and when it doesn't contain either arsenic or cyanide it's unappealing and malodorous. Now get out of my kitchen." She shooed the grinning demon with a batter laden ladle before rescuing a pair of pancakes from the griddle.

"Filia?" Val yawned as he padded barefoot across the linoleum floor, "When's breakfast? I'm hungry." His stomach growled on cue.

"Soon, sweetie," Filia promised as she poured a stream of pale batter on to the hot metal. "Why don't you get someone to tell you a story while you wait?"

"Okay," Val mumbled as he rubbed a fist across his sleepy eyes. He grabbed a mug of tea and swallowed the contents without a pause. Then he shuffled out of the kitchen and called to Gaav, asking the Devil Dragon King to tell him a story.

The stairs creaked softly and Filia heard Gourry greet Lina with a cheery "Good Morning, Sunshine!"

Zelgadis meandered through the kitchen, clutching his personal white coffee mug. The chimera poured a stream of dark, aromatic coffee into his cup and watched the rising steam for a moment before raising the cup to his lips and sipping carefully.

"Everything is so… normal," Milgasia mused as he slid the green eggs onto a plate. "I never thought life around Lina Inverse could be so normal."

"Life isn't normal around Lina," Filia replied as she frowned at a square pancake. "It only seems normal because we've become accustomed to her. Are you done making the eggs?"

Milgasia nodded.

Filia scrutinized the pile of pancakes and sighed. _'It will have to do,'_ she told herself reluctantly. _'If Lina and Gourry are still hungry after breakfast then they can go out and buy a second breakfast. Even if they are visiting, that doesn't mean that they can eat me out of house and home.'_

Amelia, Martina, and Marinnie abandoned their card game, Zangulas sheathed his sword swiftly, Gaav stopped reciting a story that involved more human innards than any semblance of a plot, and Xelloss reappeared at the table next to Zelgadis before Filia finished saying 'Breakfast'. Lina and Gourry barreled through the living room, vaulted over furniture, and dove into the same seat an eye blink after the others.

"And how, dear Uncle," Filia whispered to the other Golden Dragon, "Does this seem normal to you?"

Milgasia shrugged and placed the plate of discolored, rubbery eggs on the table before sitting down as well. Filia quickly placed her mace between the eggs and Lina and Gourry.

"Ms. Lina, there isn't a huge amount of food today, so you must share. If your appetite is not sated, then I suggest that you buy yourself more food." Filia held the pancakes out of Lina's reach and gave the sorceress a stern look.

Lina grumbled slightly, but agreed to Filia's terms. Gourry counted his spare change and Amelia hid the Seyruun royal crest.

They ate in semi-silence for a few minutes; the only sounds came from methodical chewing or the clink of a fork hitting a plate. Then Gourry swiped a piece of his pancake through the lake of maple syrup on Lina's plate. Lina shrieked and counter-attacked.

"That took seven minutes," Gaav remarked through a mouthful of syrup-drenched flapjack.

"How peculiar," Zelgadis observed dryly as he ducked a flying egg. "Usually this sort of calm only occurs during the meal before the gigantic, main boss, life-or-death, fate-of-the-world battle."

"Huh," The Mazoku Lord grunted. He shoved another pancake into his mouth and effectively ended the conversation.

The screen door protested with a rusty wail as someone entered the house form the back porch. A man with a gun strolled into the house.

"Lady Filia? Master Val?" Jiras called as the door banged shut behind him. "We're back!"

"Welcome back, Jiras," Filia called back, "What was Seyruun like? Do you want breakfast?"

"Seyruun was a really big city," Jiras stated as he struggled with his dusty boots. "And the people there are pretty nice to beast-folk. There's nothing like it back home."

"We already ate breakfast," the fox-man's wife continued, "Since we heard that Ms. Inverse was in town."

"Ah," Filia glanced at the sorceress, "I guess that was wise. Would you like to sit and chat?"

The three foxes looked at Lina and Gourry, who were wrestling over several scraps of food, and shook their heads firmly.

"We're safer if we go upstairs and unpack our stuff," Jiras said bluntly as he led his family past the breakfast table battle. "You'd probably be safer if you didn't sit near them, Lady Filia."

Filia chuckled lightly, "You're right, but I have to be reckless every now and then." Jiras shrugged and muttered something about making people worry before climbing up the stairs. The Golden Dragon smiled and returned to the table.

"Say," Amelia began, "Has anyone seen Mr. or Ms. Rosencrantz and Mr. or Ms. Guildenstern?" The others glanced around the table in search of the pair before shaking their heads.

"They left during dinner last night," Zelgadis answered. "But I don't think they came back."

"Maybe they got lost or maybe someone knocked them off," Gaav suggested jokingly. "Did anyone here kill them? I hope not, because I have dibs."

"Ah, my bad," Xelloss said, calmly sipping his tea. "I didn't realize there was a queue."

"Very funny," Lina snapped, swiping the remains of Gourry's breakfast from his grasp.

"That's mine…" Gourry whined as Lina swallowed victoriously.

Lina paused in the middle of retorting to the blond swordsman's complaint and stared at Xelloss. A small crease formed on her brow as she regarded the Trickster Priest's serene face.

"You weren't joking, were you?" The sorceress murmured with deadly calm. Gourry glanced at her and then over at the Mazoku. "You killed them, didn't you?" Lina continued, "You actually killed Rosencrantz and Guildenstern."

Xelloss nodded calmly.

"Why?" Amelia asked, moving away from Xelloss, "Why did you kill them, Mr. Xelloss?"

"Why?" Xelloss echoed bemusedly, "Why indeed? It's simple, really. The one called Xelloss is, and always has been and will be, a Mazoku. You might consider me a comrade, a friend even. But that doesn't change the fact that I am bound by the strictest hierarchy in existence and unfettered by the chains of conscience." He set his teacup down, stood up, and pushed his chair in. The others shrank away slightly. "However, you all are my favorite form of entertainment and nourishment. I know that all good things must come to an end, but I'm not particularly keen on killing all of you yet."

"You haven't explained why you killed my minions," Gaav growled, shifting unconsciously to shield both Val and Marinnie. "I don't take kindly to _anyone_ destroying what's mine."

"They knew something that would've upset whatever you're plotting," Lina stated, waiting for Xelloss to confirm her statement. The Trickster nodded slightly. "Possibly something that could prompt us to oppose you."

"How clever of you, Ms. Lina," Xelloss replied, a sharp edge of sarcasm sneaking into his mostly amicable tone. "Yes, they could've encouraged you to go to Seyruun. To keep you from reaching Seyruun, I eliminated a few extraneous beings."

"Why Seyruun?" Amelia asked weakly, her eyes wide and her face drained of color. "Why don't you want us in Seyruun?"

"I can't tell you why; it's a secret," Xelloss smiled, staining his voice with false pity. "But I'd rather if you stayed away for a week or two. Everyone knows what happens when out esteemed Ms. Lina becomes involved in something, and I really don't need her involved in this scheme." He grinned and melted into the gathering shadows. His smirk hung in the air for a few seconds longer, mocking their trust. Silence stretched across several minutes after Xelloss vanished.

"We're going to Seyruun," Lina announced calmly. No one disagreed.

……………………

"Zelas!" Dolphin shouted. The Beast master jumped and glared at the other Mazoku Lord. "What's black and white and red all over?" Dolphin asked, her blue eyes glittering with mad glee.

"A newspaper," Zelas guessed irately.

"No!" Dolphin yelled. "You're supposed to say: A sunburned penguin! Do you know another way a penguin can be 'red'?"

"No, I don't," Zelas replied, comparing blood-red nail polish to a shade labeled 'Seyruun Justice Pink'.

"It can be a communist," declared Dolphin in a stage whisper. "Did you know that communist penguins make crop circles? I'm super-duper serious about this."

"That's splendid," Zelas said with a disinterested tone. She lit a cigarette and proceeded to scan the obituaries in the 'Seyruun Daily Star of Hope'.

"Children come from peaches and bamboo; men come from Mars and women come from Venus and Mazoku come from somewhere else, I think. I think I like fish. Octopi like jars. Fairies like babies. Mermaids like babies too," Dolphin mused, fanning her fingers and toes outwards. The crazy demon sighed mournfully and picked at her toes. "Mermaids are such silly creatures… they love all sorts of things. But they don't understand why other creatures aren't capable of living underwater. That's why mermaids kill everything they love."

"That's lovely," Zelas murmured as she highlighted the obituary of an infamously corrupt politician.

"You're like a mermaid, Zelas." Dolphin declared, nodding sagely. "You love all sorts of things but you break most of them in the end. But you don't stay sad; you find something new and keep partying."

"Uh-huh…" Zelas mumbled as she drew a pair of horns and excessive nasal hair onto an already unflattering picture of Prince Phil. She snuffed her cigarette and looked sharply at Dolphin. "Why are you here?"

"Do Mazoku fight each other?" Asked Dolphin, ignoring Zelas' query. "Do Mazoku kill one another?" Dolphin grabbed Zelas' hair and yanked the Beast master towards her. The insane Mazoku Lord wove her fingers into her sister's hair and began to twist the pale strands together.

"Yes— ouch! Damn it, Dolphin— Mazoku fight and kill each other—ow! Are you trying to braid my hair, you lunatic?!" Zelas yelled, trying to pull away from Dolphin's clutch.

"I see…" Dolphin sighed as she knotted Zelas' hair into a mess barely resembling a bun. "Will you kill Xelloss?" She twirled as tattered piece of lace into the Beast master's tangled hair. "Or what about that creepy guy over there?"

Zelas glanced over at Edgar. The man was still standing in a corner. His face was blank, he wasn't blinking, and Zelas hadn't seen him move for several hours. He was so bland it was hilarious.

"Red fish, blue fish, one fish, two fish; no, that's not right," Dolphin muttered while raking Edgar over with her clear blue eyes. "Oh, I know! _Dead fish_," Dolphin hissed viciously, and she spat noisily to emphasize her point. "Stupid, fake, icky, boring, dead! Silly, silly. That's not Daddy dearest." She hopped away from Zelas and spun around several times before plopping down on the stone floor and giving Zelas a dizzy look.

"Where's Gaav?"

"He's dead."

"Where's Phibs?"

"Also dead."

"Where's Grausherra?"

"He's probably sitting in a freezer up at the North Pole until the summer ends."

"Where's Zelas?"

"I'm right here."

"Where's Dolphin?"

"I don't know. Not in her right mind."

"Where's Xelloss?"

Zelas dropped Dolphin's shoddy ribbon and began to comb her long hair out.

"Where's Xelloss?" Dolphin demanded again, snatching the lace ribbon before it touched the floor.

"He's here," Zelas stated with a twitch of her slender hand. Her shadow twitched in response and swirled up like and tornado turned upside-down. The form of her Priest condensed and Xelloss bowed before the two Mazoku Lords.

"Grape jelly, how jolly!" Dolphin hailed cheerfully. She tied a length of yellow yarn into Zelas' newly combed hair before the Beast master could shove her away.

"Welcome, Xelloss," Zelas greeted as she slapped Dolphin's intruding hands out of her hair. "Why have you returned so soon? Did the ice cream disagree with you?"

"It was delicious, but it didn't appreciate my appetite," Xelloss said wistfully. "It chased me away over a… miscommunication. But I don't need to worry, I'm sure it will come to me."

"Is," Edgar croaked, pulling his stiff jaws apart, "It time to kill Seyruun?" The hazy mass of blue arms and tendrils began to seep out of his arm and his white-knuckled fist clenched the knife.

"Yes, yes," Xelloss answered disdainfully as he brushed the strands of Edgar's Zanaffar away from his staff. "We'll go and attack Seyruun. You ought to head over there if you want to make it on time."

Edgar's body twitched and jerked. His neck twisted and his empty eyes stared off towards his destination. He began to walk.

Dolphin watched the man with her nose crinkled in disgust. Zelas allowed a smirk to grace her lips as she conjured a glass of dark red wine. Xelloss looked away.

"It's horridly gross," Dolphin proclaimed, "Poor Papa! The make-believe has gone bad while we weren't watching and now we look like pathetic puppets! I think I'm too tied up in my strings, can you stop pulling them, Zelas?"

"You're beginning to babble incoherently," Zelas reprimanded before draining her wine glass. "I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"I know that," Dolphin tittered, draping a blindfold across her face. "I know lots and lots more than I want. I know we're puppets. I know you know that I know that you know that we're puppets. But you party on instead of worrying about it. Why do you feign ignorance?"

"If you'll excuse me," Xelloss cut in smoothly, "I think I ought to be somewhere else."

"Very well," Zelas replied, "You have permission to do as you please."

"Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye!" Dolphin squealed, waving enthusiastically in Xelloss' general direction. Xelloss waved back politely and stepped out of the air.

Dolphin peeked over her blindfold with a mildly befuddled expression. Zelas snapped her fingers and refilled her wine glass. The Beast master considered the measly amount of alcohol and conjured a bottle of fine wine for good measure.

"Where's Xelloss?"

"Off doing something else," Zelas responded calmly.

"Oh…" Dolphin sniffed sadly.

"What's wrong now?" The Beast master snapped as her sister's lower lip trembled.

"You have to keep partying, don't you? You really have to party…" Dolphin whispered as she dabbed her eyes with her blindfold. "You're going to mourn eventually; you can't keep avoiding the funerals. Don't you know that?" Dolphin sighed and stroked Zelas' tan cheek. "Poor Zelas-puppet," Deep-Sea Dolphin smiled scornfully. "It's okay though, you can just keep dancing. Go on, make your feet happy. The night won't end for awhile."

"What are you babbling about?" Zelas growled as Dolphin's superior smile dissolved into hysterical sobs.

"Where have all the Mazoku gone? Where's Xelloss?" Dolphin bawled as she embraced Zelas' slim waist, "Am I going to die? Is Xelloss gonna die too? Are you going to kill poor, little Xelloss?"

"Don't be stupid," Zelas snarled, disentangling herself from her weeping sister. "Xelloss is strong. He won't fail something as trivial as mass destruction."

"Good," Dolphin said as she blew her nose, "I'm happy now." She grinned widely and leapt out of Zelas' lap. "Say, Zelas…"

"What?"

"What's black and white and read all over?"

"A communist penguin."

"No… the obituaries in the newspaper!" Dolphin cackled wildly and dashed outside, towards the white sand beaches and clear ocean water.

'_Lunatic,'_ Zelas thought with bitter fondness, _'She has no idea what she's talking about any more…'_

……………………

Occasional clouds obscured the distant ground as the wind whistled through their hair and into their eyes. A river wrapped around the green, gem-like world below them like a twisting band of silver.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Phibrizzo groaned, clinging desperately to Milgasia's mane.

Val laughed at her misery and spread his black wings with a flurry of feathers and a short snippet of dramatic music.

"Ah…" the young Ancient Dragon murmured blissfully. "This is what freedom and joy must feel like. The caress of the breeze and the whisper of feathers in the wind is the most pleasurable thing in existence."

"Showoff…" a rather green Marinnie hissed. "I think hurdling through the air while relying on someone else is the most wretched experience I've ever suffered through. And I've suffered through an awful lot."

"I'm with Phi- her- on this." Gaav grunted. "I may be called a dragon, but I'd rather stay on the nice firm ground…"

Val laughed again and executed a few cartwheels down Milgasia's back.

"Please sit still, young Val," Milgasia requested. "I'd rather not face Filia if you fell off."

Filia flew past and Lina waved and grinned at Martina. Gourry looked about as nauseous as Marinnie.

"Hurry up!" Martina yelled, "Lina's dragon is winning!"

'_If you fly any faster I will smash your soul as soon as I can,'_ The Hellmaster thought viciously while biting her tongue to keep her stomach in place.

"I'm an old man," Milgasia rumbled with dignity, "If I fly too fast I might hurt myself. I will continue to fly at this pace."

"No fair…" Martina huffed. She cupped her hands around her mouth and hollered across the distance between the two Golden Dragons. "Hey, Lina! Why do you get to fly on the fast dragon?" The Queen of Xoana continued to yell as her husband covered his ringing ears. "This dragon is too slow!"

"She shouldn't talk about us like we're dumb animals," Filia complained, "She wasn't this bad when we were in human form…" A carrot bopped her nose and Filia demolished it with a frustrated chomp. "Please don't treat me like a horse!" She added to the four people riding on her back, "It's rather insulting!"

Lina chuckled and placed the stick across her lap.

"Oh come on, Filia!" Lina cajoled, "You want to get to Seyruun too, don't you? I'm just trying to give you extra incentive! You ought to be grateful that that wasn't a 'Flare Carrot' you just ingested."

"Do you really want to quarrel with Filia?" Zelgadis asked the grinning sorceress. "There's nothing stopping her from rolling and forcing us fly to Seyruun on our own."

Lina stuck her tongue out at the serious chimera and proceeded to search her cloak for another carrot to taunt the dragon maiden with.

"I'm sorry if we aren't being as respectful as we ought to be," Amelia told Filia. "Thank you for taking us, Ms. Filia. I'm sorry you had to leave you shop on our behalf."

"It's okay," said Filia gracefully, "We, particularly you, have to get to Seyruun as soon as possible. Besides, I haven't officially opened shop yet. I'm sure Jiras can take care of the house and the shop while I'm away."

Amelia murmured a soft expression of gratitude and hugged Filia as best she could.

"How are you holding up?" Zelgadis asked the princess. "Are you, well, feeling okay?"

"Huh?" Amelia responded, blinking at the faint reddish hue that spread across the chimera's cheeks.

"Well," Zelgadis shifted uncomfortably and looked away from her. "You just learned that the Mazoku, specifically Xelloss, have some sort of sinister plot involving your kingdom. I was, well, worried that you might be upset or…"

Amelia smiled at him. He really was a great guy.

"Of course I'm upset and worried. I'm a mess of emotions that I can begin to understand right now," Amelia said as she brought her knees to her chin. "I'm the Princess of Seyruun. Uncle Chris renounced his claim to the throne several years ago and no one has heard from my sister for ages. Unless Gracia returns, I'm second in line for the throne right after my father."

"Um, I see," Zelgadis stammered as he noticed Amelia scooting closer to him.

"You know, in a perfectly just world there would be no such thing as Kings or Queens or any other form of royalty," Amelia mused as she watched the clouds above them. "The truth is, I believe that we're all equal. Everyone deserves to live freely and pursue happiness. But we don't live in a perfect world, Mr. Zelgadis." She smiled at him. "I am the Princess of Seyruun; I was lucky enough to be born into a life of luxury that few can even imagine. I know it isn't fair but, until we live in a perfect world, I must do my best to fulfill the obligations of my station in life."

"And those responsibilities include spreading justice and making the world a better place, right?"

"Exactly. It is my duty to do everything in my power to benefit my people. It is my duty to help others at all times so that, despite inherited privileges, I, at the very least, do not interfere with another person's rights to freedom and happiness," proclaimed Amelia as she leapt up enthusiastically. "Sometimes I need to leave Seyruun to help Ms. Lina save the world or to deliver judgment on black-hearted bandits, and sometimes I need to stay at the palace and fill in idioti— I mean, important paperwork. But I must always keep a love of Justice in my heart and a desire to help the people of Seyruun burning in my soul so that, no matter what I do, I never commit acts that would harm my people!" Amelia frowned slightly, "And so I'm very upset and worried that Seyruun is in danger. It's my duty to protect the citizens of Seyruun, but I abandoned them because I wanted a vacation. Now that I know that danger threatens my kingdom I worry that I may have failed them. There are so many 'what if' s…"

"I see." Zelgadis mused, examining Amelia's profile. "But, you know, you don't act like a princess very often."

"Why do you say that?" Amelia asked as she crossed her legs and sat back down.

"Because," Zelgadis replied as he fumbled around in his head for the right words, "You aren't distant from the problems that the average person struggles with. You aren't a stereotypical princess; you're, well, you're Amelia."

"Th-thank you," Amelia stammered as a delicate blush suffused her cheeks.

"Hey, what're you talking about?" Lina asked as she threw one arm around Amelia's shoulders and the other arm around Zelgadis' shoulder.

"N-nothing!" Amelia squeaked, trying to quench the blush that covered most of her face.

"Oh, really?" Lina inquired with a smile that made it very obvious that the sorceress didn't believe the princess.

"You don't need to know about what we were talking about, Lina." Zelgadis said, calmly removing Lina's arm from his shoulder.

"Geez, you're still too serious for your own good, Zel." Lina whined cutely. "Why don't you loosen up some? I'm sure Milgasia knows a few jokes that you could both enjoy."

"Why don't you try to recognize how grave this situation is?" Zelgadis countered, "Seyruun is in danger and Xelloss is involved. How can you be so light-hearted?"

"Hey, I'm involved too!" Lina smirked, "So Seyruun will be okay. It might end up a bit crispy, but someone else can fix that later! Right? Right?"

"Ms. Lina, 'Irresponsible' is written all over your face…" Amelia mumbled quietly. Zelgadis smothered a smile. Lina cracked her knuckles threateningly.

"Lina!" Martina hollered from Milgasia's back before the sorceress could deliver doom upon her friends, "Slow down! Zangulas and I don't know where Seyruun is!"

"It's pretty hard to miss," Lina shouted back, "It looks like a six-sided ward! There aren't many city-sized hexagrams; Seyruun is the only one I know of!" Lina paused and squinted back at Martina. "You do know what a hexagram is, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Martina scoffed, "A hexagram is two triangles put together!" She traced the design in the air to demonstrate her knowledge of various shapes.

Lina laughed. Gourry had to hold on to her to keep her from laughing herself off of Filia's back.

"What's with her?" Martina whined, leaning against her husband's chest. She reached over and grabbed Marinnie from her secure position clinging to Milgasia's mane.

'_I'm gonna barf, I'm gonna barf, I'm gonna barf…' _Marinnie thought as she flailed in her mother's grasp. _'I'm gonna fall and splatter on the ground! Why can't dragons teleport as well as Mazoku can? This is the one time I will wish that dragons weren't so inferior! I'm gonna be sick…'_

"Marinnie-dearest," Martina cooed in Marinnie's ear, "You know we love you, don't you?"

"Um…" Phibrizzo mumbled. _'Why should I care?'_

"We love you very much. No matter what happens, we love you with our hearts and we love you with our souls." Martina ran her hands through her daughter's curly hair and planted a kiss on the top of Marinnie's head. "If something were to happen to darling Zangulas and I, I want you to always remember how much we love you."

"Sure…" _'Gross…why don't you also rot my teeth while you're in a sappy mood?'_

Martina smiled and pinched Marinnie's cheeks before the child could squirm away. The Queen of Xoana watched her daughter and wiped her moist eyes.

"I know," Zangulas whispered as he wrapped his arms around his wife. "It isn't easy being a parent."

"We can only pray to Lord Zoamelgustar and hope He helps us become better parents," Martina sighed as she relaxed in her husband's embrace.

Marinnie clambered across a treacherous span of Milgasia's scaly back and reached the relative security of the Golden Dragon's long mane. She glanced over at Gaav and noticed that the Devil Dragon King had a rather peculiar expression on his face.

"What?" Marinnie demanded rudely.

"Nothing," Gaav grunted, shaking his head. "It's just that… you keep rejecting them."

"Yeah? So what if I am?" Phibrizzo snapped.

"It means you aren't a very good child," Val piped in. "I mean, if you get a second chance then you ought to try to learn something from the previous life, right? I'm in the habit of counting to one hundred every time I get a homicidal urge, and so far I haven't tried to destroy the world or something else dramatic and stupid. I suggest you imitate my example."

Marinnie opened her mouth to say something. That 'something' became a piercing shriek and Milgasia began a steep dive. Martina and Zangulas clutched the end of Milgasia's tail and one another as they prayed to their patron monster.

Milgasia landed gently on the ground outside of Seyruun where Lina and the others were waiting.

"It looks like we made it in time," Lina said as she surveyed the outer wall of Seyruun.

"Let's go," Amelia urged as she began to walk towards the Northern gate. Lina, Zelgadis, Filia, Martina, Zangulas, Val, Milgasia, and Marinnie followed Amelia's lead. Gaav began to follow the others, paused, and glanced at the blond swordsman standing with a confused look on his face.

"C'mon," The Mazoku Lord called, "We're getting left behind."

"Sorry, but why are we here?" Gourry scratched his head.

"There's gonna be a battle and we're gonna fight," Gaav replied, "What else do you need to know?"

"Nothing," Gourry muttered, "Never mind, I was being stupid again."

"It's okay if you're stupid, I expect that from you," Gaav stated as he walked away.

Gourry laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head.

"It's weird," the swordsman said to himself as he stared at the white walls of Seyruun, "Is this really Seyruun?" Gourry shrugged and ran after the others.

……………………

"Please proceed into the city," Thomas told the elderly farmer, "And don't break any laws."

The old man wobbled through the Northern gate of Seyruun leading his produce-laden donkey.

"Mr. Thomas?" A familiar voice inquired, "Is that you?"

"Lady Amelia!" Thomas the mostly useless soldier gasped. "You've returned to Seyruun! And with quite an entourage too…" He sized up the people around the princess with a critical eye.

"Hey, you're that jerk!" Martina announced shrilly, jabbing a finger at Thomas.

"And you're that suspicious woman who claimed to be the Queen of Xoana!" Thomas yelled back. Zangulas' blade pressed lightly against Thomas' neck and the soldier realized that he had just ruined another set of armor thanks to the intimidating King of Xoana.

"Um, let's not fight," Amelia pleaded, quickly pushing Zangulas away from the terrified Thomas. He stepped back with a grumble and Amelia turned to the unfortunate Thomas. "Mr. Thomas, we need to get into the city. Will you let us pass?"

"Of course, of course!" Thomas replied as he tried not to focus on the sloshing sounds in his armor, "Welcome back, Lady Amelia."

"Thank you," Amelia smiled and led her companions through the gate and into the city.

They walked past shops and restaurants and residences. Some people moved aside when they noticed Amelia and some people ran away when they saw Lina, but most of the people they passed went on with their ordinary lives without sparing them a second glance.

Gourry kept twisting his neck and frowning at the buildings around them until he fell behind the others. Finally Lina nudged him.

"What's wrong?" She glanced around trying to clue onto whatever was bugging her jellyfish. "Is someone after us?"

"I don't think so," Gourry responded, "It's just… does something smell weird to you? I don't think Seyruun, um, smelled like this."

Lina sniffed. She could smell various things cooking and a few over or under perfumed pedestrians, but nothing that she would consider 'weird'.

"You don't smell anything?" Gourry asked nervously.

"Nothing that I'd classify as 'weird'," Lina admitted, "What do you smell?"

"Well, Seyruun used to smell really clean and white and safe. But now it smells like there are shadows or something… Now it smells like a lot of other towns." Gourry grinned and put his hand on Lina's head. "It's okay, I'm sure everything will be okay."

Lina smiled.

"Oh," Gourry remarked, "You might want to watch out."

"Huh?" Lina replied blankly half a second before she walked into a pedestrian. She sat down on the street rather abruptly.

"Sorry about that…" The hooded man apologized. "I wasn't watching where I was go—Lina Inverse?"

Lina looked up and yelped, causing the others to turn and see what had surprised her.

"Vrumugun!" Martina exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"Just wait, the next person we run into will be Rezo," Zelgadis whispered to Lina as he helped her to her feet.

"No way," Lina returned, "We'll run into Sylphiel before we run into Rezo."

"I think Daddy will be the next person we meet again," Amelia piped in.

"I'm here because we were searching for Your Majesties," Vrumugun said over the three-way debate.

"Really?" Zangulas blinked, "Why?"

"Because, Zangulas, we wanted to talk to you." Vrumugun said. The man crossed his arms and a vague expression of irritation settled on his features. "The next time you leave your sandals on the throne, please make sure they aren't muddy. We've had to reupholster your throne; the stains wouldn't come out even after we soaked the cushions in club soda."

Zangulas chuckled and Martina giggled.

"Hey," Gourry interrupted, "Why do you keep referring to yourself as 'we'? Is there anyone else with you?"

"There's just me," Vrumugun replied.

"Myself," Vrumugun continued as he strolled over.

"And I," Vrumugun added as he arrived.

"The seven others are still in Xoana," the first Vrumugun finished.

"Wow," Gourry remarked staring at the three clones, "Are you guys triplets or something?"

"Something," The three identical men responded blandly.

"You've been running into an awful lot of people since I came back," Gaav remarked as he returned with several ice cream cones. He handed one of the treats to Val and Marinnie snatched another. The two children inspected the cones carefully, suspicious of every black spot. Then they devoured the cold, sweet goodies in the messiest manner known to mankind.

"While we're on the subject of lots of people," Lina started as she swiped an ice cream cone from the Devil Dragon King. "If any one sees a woman… she has black hair, she's almost as tall as Gourry, more, um, endowed than Amelia, and about as obnoxious as Martina. What ever you do, don't tell her you know me, okay?"

In a bar a few blocks down, a scantily-clad woman sneezed several times before ordering a new bottle of brandy and an extra serving of roast beef with an ear-piercing laugh.

"Why? Who is she? How do you know her?" Gourry asked Lina.

"That doesn't' really matter," answered Lina. "Just know that she wears a little black bikini in that 'Evil Sorceress' style that went out of fashion centuries ago and her laugh can be heard for miles around. She calls herself 'Naga the White Serpent' and she needs a Fireball shoved in her face. That's all."

Amelia looked like she was about to choke.

"Well, now that we have that settled," Lina said, diverting the topic from Naga. "Let's head to the palace, okay? There's a lot that needs to be done." She assumed the role of the leader and began to walk confidently towards the palace, ignoring the fact that Amelia probably knew the streets better than she did.

Two of the Vrumugun-clones left to wander the city while one of them followed Lina and her band of friends.

"Are you feeling alright?" Filia asked eyeing Amelia nervously, "You look rather… well… unwell."

"Oh, I'm fine," said Amelia with a giggle, "I'm really fine."

"I taste a bit of hysteria," Gaav remarked as he strolled by, wiping his sticky hands on his coat hem. "I'd rather have ice cream. Or a good fight." He outpaced them easily and the two women realized with a start that Lina was already leaving them behind.

As they hurried after the others Filia muttered quietly, probably something less than kind about Mazoku in general, and Amelia wondered a great deal about the woman Lina mentioned.

'_It can't be,'_ Amelia reasoned as she ran after her friends, _'It's too improbable. But then again, anything is possible once Ms. Lina gets involved. I should hope… it really would be good to hope. I do hope. I hope I can protect Seyruun.' _And, since Amelia was a very hopeful person, Hope sang, bird-like, in her soul; banishing her worry for a bit.

Hope, however, was not the name of the long shadows.

……………………

**Author's Note to the Magnificent Reader:** I'm dreadfully sorry that it took so long to post this chapter, especially after I predicted that I would have this chapter up sooner. It's funny, but I think that when I said that I would have more time the universe laughed and replied something along the lines of _"Oh yeah? Not if I can help it! Try to deal with writers block!"_

Additionally, I found that taking two concurrent math classes is rather difficult. Not only was I dealing with a case of writer's block, I had more homework than before. And then I found myself with a renewed addiction to Agatha Christie's works. I read six of her novels in three days as well as a number of short-stories.

I truly feel bad about taking so long to write and post this chapter, and I'm not entirely satisfied with how it turned out. I want to write the next chapter soon, but, to prevent the universe from going out of its way to thwart me, I am afraid that I cannot make any promises.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm grateful for your immense kindness.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_(Im)pending, Please Wait._

……

"You're telling me that Seyruun is in danger?" Captain Meleagris of the Seyruun City Guard gobbled, "Preposterous!" The man shook his head, causing the flab dangling off his neck to wobble to and fro.

Lina wanted to wring his neck.

The bald, red-faced, rotund man had prevented Lina and her friends from talking to either Phil or Christopher for nearly an hour. He claimed that, as the Captain of the City Guard, he was responsible for all military affairs in Seyruun.

Unfortunately, his favorite part of his job was burying his head in the sand and ignoring any manner of threat.

"Listen, turkey," Lina growled, "I've told you and Amelia's told you that Seyruun is in danger. Gourry, Zel, Martina, Zangulas, Filia, Milgasia, Val, Marinnie, and Gaav can back our story up. Why won't you listen?" Lina's aura of fury warped the air around her and threatened to burn her friends sitting nearest to her.

The old man clucked his tongue indignantly and hid his beaky nose behind a claw-like hand as though Lina's anger was an offensive odor.

"There is no reason for me to believe you, Ms. Inverse," said Meleagris. "You, Ms. Inverse, are, shall we say, infamous." He chuckled in a self-satisfied manner and ran a beady eye over her assorted friends. "And the people you have to back up your foolish tale do not appear to be particularly credible. Mr. Gourry appears to be quite a moron. Mr. Zelgadis is a shady looking character." He slid his tongue over his lips while he concocted more insults. "The Kingdom of Xoana is known to desire an excuse for military build-up and I know very well that those flying lizards of yours are envious of Seyruun's purity and prosperity. Additionally, one cannot rely on the accounts of children since the young are wretched little liars. Finally, Ms. Inverse, seeing that you rely on a Mazoku to back up your story only demonstrates that your reputation as a less than demure maiden is a well earned one."

The servants would later find a good number of indentions in the table, most of which appeared to be caused by fingers grasping on to the polished oak. It was rather peculiar.

"And why," Lina snarled as Gourry held her back in case she was tempted to rip Meleagris into pieces and barbeque the remains, "Can't you listen to Amelia? She's your princess, right?"

The Captain cast a snobby look at Amelia before turning to talk to Lina.

"Princess Amelia," he intoned as though she couldn't hear him, "Has been traipsing around the countryside with a pack of undesirables. They, like her father, are poor role models for a young girl like her."

Amelia's face darkened in anger.

"What are you trying to say?" Lina's voice was serene.

'_Oh, Cepheid,'_ Filia thought in horror as she backed against the wall, _'Ms. Lina has gone off the deep end…'_

Martina and Zangulas began to mumble prayers to Zoamelgustar as they slid their uncomfortable metal chairs away from the corpulent Captain Meleagris.

'_Please don't let her blow the palace up,' _Amelia implored various higher powers.

'_I should start running now if I want a decent chance of getting out of the blast radius,'_ Zelgadis reasoned.

Vrumugun didn't react. After all, there were still nine clones left.

'_Kill him, you have a good excuse.'_ Phibrizzo urged mentally, _'Blow him up. Strew his guts around and paint the town red with his blood! Torture him! Kill him! Or, if you're going to be mature, light him on fire.'_

'_I don't take kindly to being called a liar,'_ Valgaav realized. _'I ought to start counting to one hundred.'_

"Would you like to play chess?" Milgasia asked the Devil Dragon King quietly. "Lina and the others have the, um, diplomacy under control."

"You call that control?" Gaav whispered back incredulously. "She might sound calm, but I'm sure she's going to flip out in a manner of seconds."

"Just kidding," Milgasia murmured as he opened the newspaper in search of the daily crossword. "I don't have a chess set handy."

Gaav nearly fell out of his chair. _'Stupid draconic humor…'_

'_I should send flowers to this guy's funeral…'_ Gourry decided as a smile spread across Lina's face. _'I wonder if there's anything affordable.'_

"What do you mean when you say that Amelia can't be trusted because her father and her friends are 'poor role models'?" Lina reiterated calmly. In the back of her mind she shuddered and scolded herself for sounding like Luna.

"A woman," Meleagris declared, "Belongs at her home. A princess ought to pass her days engaging in dainty pastimes, such as embroidery or gossip. She should not run around the countryside among the lower classes trying to rectify perceived wrongs."

The table made an audible cracking noise. Several audible cracking noises actually.

"A princess," Meleagris continued, oblivious to the irritation that floated in the air, "Should not distress herself with the misfortune of the lower-class. She only needs to marry and bear an heir to continue her husband's lineage."

'_If you even insinuate that you expect me to participate in either part of the event that proceeds bearing children, then I will see to it that you and all of your descendants are rendered incapable of taking part in such an act!'_ Marinnie thought maliciously.

"And how do your," Lina coughed, an odd cough that sounded like several very rude words; "Views relate to our credibility?"

"They just do!" Meleagris replied huffily, "My gut tells me that you are not worth listening to!"

'_He's got enough of a gut,'_ Gaav mused as he drummed his fingers of the armrest of his chair, _'It's no surprise it's talking to him.'_

"Now," The Captain said, trying to appear dignified, "I am a very busy man. It is my job to keep Seyruun safe. I have wasted enough time listening to your balderdash. If you will excuse me, I have important matters to attend to."

The man tried to sweep dramatically out of the room, but, in reality, he merely waddled away with a haughty air. He resembled nothing more than a fattened turkey strutting obliviously to the slaughterhouse. As he proceeded down the hallway, he passed a random waitress and gave her a pat on the posterior.

In a great show of mercy, she didn't lop his head off.

No one wondered why an armed waitress was wandering the halls of the Seyruun palace; Divine Intervention saw to that.

"I think that was an example of 'military intelligence'," Zangulas quipped, "And it reminded me why I was a mercenary before I met my darling wife." He kissed said wife for good measure.

"Well, we now know that we can't rely on the Seyruun City Guard to protect the city." Zelgadis said sardonically. The chimera ran a hand through his wiry hair and frowned. "It's a pity. Our job would be so much easier if they cooperated."

"If they won't help, then we don't have to follow their rules," Gourry pointed out. "As long as they don't stop us and as long as we get the job done, everything will be okay, right?"

The waitress crept closer to the doorway, intent on eavesdropping.

"This way will be easier; we get to take matters into our own hands!" Lina grinned eagerly, a tad too eagerly.

"No Dragon Slaves allowed!" Amelia interjected hastily.

"Why not?" Lina complained, "They're really useful. And fun."

"Well, not in the city limits…"

The waitress outside stifled a chuckle.

"Hey, Lina," Gaav said, "Have you ever fought in a city?"

"Yeah, loads of times. Especially during meals."

"Lemme rephrase that. Have you ever had to defend a place from an invasion? And not blow it up?" Gaav laid special emphasis on the second question, much to Lina's irritation.

Lina frowned and considered. She wracked her brain for awhile and made an impressive imitation of Gourry when he tried to remember Shabranigdo's name.

"I haven't blown up a few cities that I've battled in, if that's what you mean. But actually defending a place from more than a few people? No, I don't think so," she replied after a few minutes. "Why?"

"What about the rest of you? Have you ever fought in a large-scale battle, maybe a war, where your life and the lives of your comrades weren't the only ones on the line?" Gaav continued, ignoring the sorceress.

Amelia shook her head slowly. Filia shook her head with a slight frown. Martina shook her head. Zangulas shook his head. Milgasia asked Vrumugun if he knew a four-letter word that was a synonym for destruction. Vrumugun pointed surreptitiously to Lina. Zelgadis pondered for a bit before acknowledging that he had little experience defending a place and protecting multiple lives.

Gourry nodded quietly.

"That's what I thought," Gaav said. "Gourry, d'you know what I'm getting at, talking about defending places and having extra lives on the line?"

"Yeah," Gourry replied, "It's an entirely different sort of battle."

"What do you mean a 'different sort of battle'?" Lina demanded, irked that she wasn't quite sure what was going on.

"When we fought, both sides were fighting to stay alive. It was me versus several of you. The battle was off in a remote location, Dragon's Peak or something like that." Gaav explained.

"Excuse me, but I live there." Milgasia interrupted mildly. Gaav brushed that pesky detail away and continued to talk.

"That fight only involved a handful of participants and it didn't pose much of a threat to any unrelated parties (aside from dragons, but they can take care of themselves). Your side focused on attacking me and healing one another and I focused on trying to kill you, Lina. That was an example of a very simple battle." Gaav paused and drew his brows together in concentration. "Can you tell where I'm going with this? I'm not that good at explaining stuff; I've always been a 'direct demonstration' kind of guy."

"I think I've got a decent idea of what you're trying to say," Lina replied. "Something along the lines of: 'This battle is going to be complicated because there are going to be a lot of people involved' and 'It's really going to suck for the innocent bystanders'. Right?"

"Close enough," Gaav shrugged.

"Well I've saved the world before," Lina declared, "And there were a lot of lives in danger then. Even if the actual fighting didn't immediately threaten other people, the result of the battle did matter to the rest of the world. Isn't that similar to defending a place?"

"No, not really," Gourry answered, "Because there weren't a lot of people around during the fighting."

"So?"

"Well, you didn't have a bunch of people around asking why you weren't protecting them when we were saving the world from, um, whatshisname," a small crinkle appeared between his eyebrows as he tried to recall the name that often escaped him. "That one guy, Shaba-ding-dong." Marinnie's jaw dropped and Gaav snorted very loudly. Gourry continued without paying either of them any mind. "If we were fighting him and there were a bunch of people around, then most of them would get in your face and ask you to save them and forget everyone else."

"People get in the way and make stupid demands when they think they're in danger," Gaav clarified, still smirking. He leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table, "So you know; I've found that the bigger the attacking force, the stupider the threatened mob becomes. It's good eating."

"If we assume that the danger threatening Seyruun is an invasion, then an army of lesser demons is going to pose more of a problem than just Xelloss once the citizenry is factored in," Zelgadis stated.

"We know Seyruun is in danger," Amelia said, "But, Mr. Zelgadis, it sounds like you think it might not be an invasion."

Zelgadis shook his head, "Xelloss never said that he was planning to invade Seyruun."

"I'm sure it'll be an invasion," Gaav interrupted. "Xelloss won't pass up an opportunity to create fear and chaos if he's going to attack a city this large. His appetite is almost as vast as Lina's."

"What if we make everyone evacuate?" Lina suggested. "Then they wouldn't get in the way and they wouldn't be in danger, right?"

The eavesdropping waitress raised an obscured eyebrow at the sorceress' idea. It wasn't a bad idea, but it wasn't one she had expected Lina to come up with.

"Ms. Lina, that's a bit…" Amelia trailed off.

"Impractical?" Filia offered.

"Thank you, Ms. Filia," Amelia replied as she nodded. "It would be incredibly impractical to evacuate all of Seyruun, especially if we don't want Captain Meleagris to interfere."

"Oh, yeah," Lina muttered. She made several impolite comparisons between the Captain and the end result of the digestive system. Martina clapped her hands over her daughter's ears and shot Lina a reproving glare.

"However, if we could keep Captain Meleagris from noticing, then I think it would be a good idea to evacuate a portion of Seyruun. Hopefully we can get a number of people to safety before the Mazoku attack," Amelia said over Lina's increasingly nasty descriptions of the aging Captain of the Seyruun Guard.

"I'd get the very young, the elderly, and those incapable of fighting out of the city first, since they'd be liabilities more than anything else," Zangulas put forth.

"I think it would be wiser to evacuate the people near the outer wall first," Amelia countered. "Since the holy barrier gets weaker the farther one gets from the center of the city, the citizens living closest to the outer wall are in the most danger. But they're also the easiest to evacuate in case of an emergency."

"How does this barrier affect Mazoku?" Gourry asked the Devil Dragon King.

Gaav shrugged and pulled a can of beer out of his pocket before replying. "Since I'm bound to a human soul, I'm not an accurate judge. But I feel like I have a head cold from the amount of Cepheid's power concentrated in the castle."

"When we fought Kanzeil and Mazenda we were either dragged into a pocket dimension at the start or outside of Seyruun City limits," Zelgadis recalled. "They said it was to keep us from running, but it might've been because they were handicapped in the city."

"Both," Gaav grunted through a sip of beer.

"So we know that Mazoku suffer some adverse effects from Seyruun's holy barrier, we know that we want as few people around as possible, and we know that Captain Meleagris is a lousy—." Martina glared at Lina. "Never mind," Lina amended, "We know that we don't want him to interfere. So we'll evacuate the people in the outer edge of the city first. Right?"

'_Cepheid,'_ the waitress thought as Lina's friends agreed with her summarizing. _'She's not the little kid I remember…'_

"The important thing we don't know is where the attack will come from," Lina continued standing and pacing across the smooth stone floor. "Therefore, I suggest that some of us patrol the city while the others organize an evacuation."

"I'll help organize the evacuation," Amelia volunteered.

"Zangulas-darling and I will help too," Martina added.

"Right, Amelia, Martina, and Zangulas will be in charge of evacuating the most vulnerable citizens," Lina agreed, stopping at the head of the long table. "See if you can get Phil and Christopher to help out, okay Amelia?"

"I'm sure Daddy will be happy to help," Amelia beamed. "Oh, I can't wait to see Daddy again!"

"Right… as for patrols—"

"I am already patrolling the area near the northernmost gate," Vrumugun said before Lina finished her sentence. "You just need groups to patrol the eastern, western, and southern parts of the city."

"Am I the only one who thinks it's creepy that Mr. Clone can be in two places at once?" Gaav wondered.

"There are nine more of me," Vrumugun corrected. "So I am in ten places at once. I am the ultimate multi-tasker."

"I think it's creepier that he can call himself 'the ultimate multi-tasker' in a monotone," Filia muttered to herself as she eyed a large vase perched on the window sill. Surely Amelia's family would want that ugly thing replaced…

"We need three groups to patrol the city," Lina stated over the discussion, slamming her palms onto the oaken table in case she didn't have everyone's attention. "Gourry and I will be one group, Filia and Milgasia will be another group, and… that leaves Zel and Gaav."

"You only need to patrol the western and southern parts of the city," Gaav pointed out, "Zelas won't send her minions through Zephilia. It's an old agreement she has with the Knight of Cepheid." Lina twitched violently at the mention of her older sister.

'_Zelas won't send her minions near Zephilia,'_ the waitress agreed, _'She's too attached to her wine to break our promise.'_

"Wait, I nearly forgot. Someone needs to watch Ms. Marinnie and Mr. Val," Amelia piped in. "They're both younger than ten, so they need adult supervision."

"Why?" Marinnie demanded, "I can take care of myself!"

"That may be the case," Amelia replied from the swaying chandelier, "But it doesn't change the law. In Seyruun, it is a crime to leave a child under the age of ten unsupervised. Supervision by someone over the age of eighteen is required."

"Okay, so we need a babysitter and two patrols," Lina recapped as Amelia hopped off of the chandelier and onto the table. "Shall we play rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets stuck with babysitting duty?"

Gourry, Gaav, Filia, and Milgasia nodded.

"Right, rock-paper-scissors it is," Lina grinned, "And Zel, you aren't allowed to opt out." Lina smirked at her friend. The chimera grumbled in response.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors," they chanted. "SHOOT!"

"You all picked paper," Amelia remarked as she sat down in the wrought iron chair. "That's unusual."

"Um…" Lina glanced at the five other hands. "Zel is already a rock! Zel loses!"

"HEY!" Zelgadis protested as the others smacked his stony hand.

"Zel is stuck babysitting," Lina confirmed. "Gourry, Gaav, and I will be one patrol and Filia and Milgasia will be the other patrol. My group will patrol the western part of Seyruun while Filia and Milgasia will patrol the southern area. Got it?"

General murmurs of consent drowned out Zelgadis' irritated grumble.

'_Lina has it under control, she doesn't need my help,'_ The waitress told herself, noting a wave of regret.

She sighed and walked away from the doorway with a smile. As she reached the end of the hallway she walked into a timid-looking maid.

"I-I'm sorry," the girl stammered, trying to brush imaginary wrinkles out of her crisp red and white uniform.

"No problem," the woman replied with a smile. "I wasn't watching where I was going."

"Um… um…" the girl stuttered, "C-could I ask you to do me a f-favor? C-can you take this coffee to Captain M-Meleagris? I-I would… b-but I'm scared of, of him…"

"Sure thing," the waitress said kindly, removing the cup from the maid's hands. "I'll be happy to." The maid thanked her, scampered away, and tumbled off of a balcony.

The waitress looked at the coffee critically; it wasn't very high-quality coffee. She wouldn't give it to her customers. Of course, Meleagris wasn't a customer, he was an obstacle.

She rooted around in her apron pocket for a small envelope. Carefully, she emptied the powdery contents of the envelope into Captain Meleagris' coffee.

'_It's the least I can do,'_ Luna mused when she placed the cup in front of Meleagris.

……………………

Vrumugun met the other two several blocks away from the North Gate. They nodded and walked to the nearest bar.

"You know what's going on?" Vrumugun inquired.

"Yes," Vrumugun and Vrumugun replied.

"She's in here," Vrumugun told Vrumugun and Vrumugun. The three copies filed into the bar, removing their hoods and squinting in the dim light.

The bar looked like many bars in many kingdoms. It was dingy, smelly, poorly lit, and there were a number of drunken men slumped over the long wooden counter. A grizzled bartender stood sullenly behind his counter, polishing greasy tankards with a filthy rag and occasionally refilling a customer's empty ale mug. A single woman sat in the bar, imbibing more ale than all of the other patrons combined.

She was an interesting woman, and not just because she was chugging enough alcohol to knock out a Mazoku. Her skin was as smooth and pale as magnolia blossoms and she made sure to show it off. Her curvaceous figure was barely contained by her little, tight, black leather outfit. Her cheeks were tinged with a rosy hue and her luxurious hair flowed down her back like an ebony waterfall. Her long-lashed, blue eyes focused intently on her tankard. For a moment, she looked like a goddess meditating on her next course of action.

Then Naga lifted her mug and slopped the majority of her ale onto the countertop. Cursing, she pounded the tankard on the counter and demanded a free refill.

"She's drunk." Vrumugun, Vrumugun, and Vrumugun stated; three pairs of cold blue eyes staring at the scantily clad sorceress. "She's very drunk."

"I'm not drunk," the woman corrected, proving that she heard them. "I've just had a lot of alcohol. There's a difference."

"If you say so," the three men sighed. "Are your mental capabilities impaired?"

"Naga the White Serpent's mental prowess is never impaired!" She leapt up to laugh and the three men clapped their hands over their ears as the other people in the bar fled. The bartender continued to pour ale into the woman's mug, quietly praying to lose his hearing in the next few minutes.

"Please don't laugh," Vrumugun pleaded.

"It's bad enough hearing it through one pair of ears," Vrumugun continued for Vrumugun.

"But hearing that laugh through three pairs of ears is excruciating," Vrumugun finished for the other two.

'_Of course, it could be worse,' _the three clone men thought, _'At least the other ten aren't here.'_

"If I want to laugh, then I will laugh," Naga sniffed. "They say: 'Laugh and the world laughs with you', don't they? I laugh to make the world a happier place for when I wish to conquer it." To prove her point, she laughed again.

"Yes, yes," Vrumugun mumbled. "By the way, Lina Inverse hates your laugh. From the sound of things, she's rather traumatized by the sound."

"She's just jealous," the well-endowed woman proclaimed. She walked unsteadily through the bar as she continued. "So how is Lina? The last I heard, she was off saving the world with Amelia and a few others people. Is she still as flat as a board?"

"She's trying to protect Seyruun right now," Vrumugun and Vrumugun informed Naga. "And we're going to patrol the northern section of the city."

"Why?"

"Because we don't know where the Mazoku are planning to attack from."

"Mazoku? There are Mazoku involved?" Naga frowned and twirled a strand of her dark hair around a finger. "That makes things much more complicated. I might have to charge extra for my help…"

"You don't have to help," said Vrumugun. "We only told you because we thought you might like to protect your kingdom." They walked a few steps away from the White Serpent and stood by the doorway, silhouetted by the sunlight. "You know, your sister and father are in a great deal of danger. You ought to protect your family this time."

"You'll never be popular with the ladies if you're so sneaky," Naga grumped as she followed the three clone men into the sun and along the cobblestone road.

"I'm unpopular if I'm pushy and I'm unpopular if I'm sneaky," the three Vrumugun clones said as they pulled their discount-bin cloaks' hoods over their bald pates. "I just can't win, can I?"

……………………

The reunion between Amelia and her father consisted of several minutes of bone-crunching bear hugs. Martina and Zangulas winced when Christopher had the misfortune of wandering into the room.

"I think that was my ribcage…" Christopher gasped as his niece and his older brother squashed him in a hug.

Finally the three members of the Seyruun royal family broke apart. Amelia cast a Recovery spell on her uncle's bruised ribs while Phil began to tell her about his latest journey. After listening to Prince Phil expound on his efforts to educate underprivileged peasants in the way of pacifism for half a minute, Martina felt an overwhelming urge to interrupt.

"Excuse me, but, while hearing how you helped those ignorant people is wonderful, aren't there more important things to talk about?" The Queen of Xoana demanded.

Christopher cast a grateful look at her.

Martina smiled, "For example, why don't I tell you about the Cult of Zoamelgustar that I'm forming? We have a meeting this Thursday at twilight." Christopher maintained his poise despite his desire to introduce his skull to a nearby wall.

'_Sometimes I wish I didn't know so many obsessive people,'_ the Second Prince thought as Phil began to rant about forming cults. _'But, while my life might be less stressful without Justice-freaks and oyster-worshippers, I don't think my life would be as interesting.'_

"The reason why I'm refraining from telling you about the next Church of Zoamelgustar meeting/fundraiser/Post-Traumatic-Lina-Inverse-Encounter therapy group is because now is not the time," Martina said serenely over Phil's speech.

"That's right!" Amelia affirmed from atop an end table. "I'm glad to hear how successful you were, Daddy; but you'll have to wait until later to tell me all about it! Right now Evil threatens our fair city! An army of soulless shadows plans to lay siege to our land and crush the light of hope and love in our peoples' hearts. A cloud of darkness is coming to cover the sun-like Justice of Seyruun and rain sorrow and pain upon us! If we do not act today then there is no hope of preserving a tomorrow."

Phil gently lifted his daughter off of the table and placed her in front of him.

"Now, Amelia," said her father, "What is this cloud of darkness that spreads towards us and places our Justice-filled tomorrow in horrible danger?"

"Mazoku," Zangulas answered before Amelia and her father could continue using fancy metaphors. "They're going to invade Seyruun."

"Exactly!" Amelia yelled, pointing at the King of Xoana. "But Captain Meleagris refuses to believe us. He hath ignored our tale and disregarded the trouble that looms around us! But even if we don't have the support of the City Guard, it is still our duty to protect our people, is it not? We must keep our city and her citizens safe from those who have sold their souls to darkness. We cannot allow the venom of evil to be inflicted upon the hearts of our kingdom!"

"Verily!" Phil exclaimed enthusiastically. "Do you have a plan?"

"Ms. Lina thought that we should evacuate some of our most vulnerable citizens," Amelia explained. "But it will be incredibly difficult without your help, Daddy."

"You have no need to worry," Phil grinned. "I shall help however I can!"

"As will I," Christopher smiled.

"That's wonderful!" Amelia beamed, "I'm so glad you understand." Amelia and Phil embraced one another again. And several more times for good measure. And a few more times.

"We should find a safe haven for the evacuees," Christopher stated calmly after Amelia and her father's thirty-seventh hug.

Phil grinned and looked around the various soldiers standing nearby, "Jeffery!" He bellowed. A frail young man jumped, spun around, and saluted to Phil. "I need you to return to your home."

"Eh?" The young man gasped, "But why?"

'_That voice, could it be? Mr. Xelloss?!'_ Amelia gasped inwardly the moment the young man spoke. _'No, wait… my Justice Sense tells me that that soldier isn't a Mazoku. Huh, maybe it's just the same voice actor.'_

"It's not that you aren't an excellent soldier," Christopher explained as he noticed a hooded woman hefting a war hammer in a corner of the chamber. "Rather the opposite. We need you to escort a number of refugees to your family's estate and protect them until the threat of the demonic attack passes."

"I can stay here and fight the demonic menace!" Jeffery proclaimed, waving his flimsy rapier in clumsy circles. "I can defeat it with a single blow!"

"I'm sure you could," Christopher lied with a placating voice. "But it would be more heroic if you were to protect the evacuees as they journeyed to the sanctuary of your estate."

"Then I shall defend them like a valiant hero! I shall take my vorpal blade in hand and kill any creature of evil that threatens those I escort!" Jeffery declared. He saluted Prince Phil before dashing clumsily away. The hooded woman, satisfied with Christopher's words, disappeared after her son.

"Thanks Chris," said Phil with a smile, "You really saved me there."

"It was no problem," Christopher demurred. "I'd do the same any day for you, brother."

"Who was that creepy lady?" Zangulas wondered. "And was that pantyhose on her head?

"That was just a passing pedestrian, nothing to worry about," Phil explained flippantly. He clapped his large hands together and grinned at the others. "We now have a safe haven for our citizens to go to, now we must direct them to migrate there! Come on, Amelia!"

"Right, Daddy!"

The Crown Prince of Seyruun rushed out of the room, closely followed by his daughter. Martina, Zangulas, and Christopher looked at one another while the dust settled.

"So," Christopher began, "I'm glad to see that Your Majesties have returned. I was worried that we had offended you last time since you left so suddenly."

"Oh, we just found out where Lina and Gourry were going," Martina explained. "And we had to catch them before they escaped again."

"Apparently you were successful," Christopher observed.

"Indeed," said Zangulas.

"Well, I thank you for giving us forewarning concerning this impending attack on Seyruun," Christopher murmured politely. He strolled away from them and over to the closest window from where he admired the bustling city below. "We are indebted to you," he announced, "The thought of the catastrophe that would've befallen us if we had been taken unaware is horrible."

"We were happy to help," Martina smiled, "The Monstrous Zoamelgustar will protect Xoana's allies!" She pumped her fist into the air dramatically.

'_Zoamelgustar?'_ Christopher wondered, trying to recall anything by the name of 'Zoamelgustar'. _'Oh, it's that peculiar oyster-thing.'_

"I'm glad to have the protection of Zoamelgustar," Christopher lied diplomatically, "It is a great boon to Seyruun."

"Of course, of course!" Martina agreed joyfully.

"Thank you," Christopher continued. "Now, I don't intend to be rude; but I need you both to return to Xoana."

"Why?" Martina's mood hovered between confusion and fury with Christopher's suggestion. "Why should we leave? We've only just caught up with Lina. If we return to Xoana, then Lina will leave us behind again. I'm sick of being left behind!"

Christopher gazed evenly at her as he chose his words, "Your Majesties of Xoana. Your people need you far more than the city of Seyruun. If you die, then your kingdom will lose its way and crumble. Your priority should be your people; the city of Seyruun cannot ask you to sacrifice yourselves."

"Xoana needs Seyruun," Zangulas parried. "Without Seyruun, then the balance among the kingdoms will fall apart and Xoana will crumble along with the rest."

Christopher sighed. They really wanted to help defend Seyruun. But he couldn't let them risk their lives and…

"What about your daughter?"

"What about Marinnie?" A flicker of fear passed across Martina's face as she countered Christopher's question with a question of her own.

Christopher sighed again and returned to the window. He struggled between his natural tendency towards diplomacy and reason and an overwhelming desire to shout and spill his emotion onto the obstinate rulers of Xoana.

"My son, Alfred, has been dead for over five years," Christopher said clearly, slowly, and almost calmly. "Five years is longer than eternity if one wakes up every morning knowing that they are alive while their child is not. I thought that, after a few years, my sorrow over Alfred's death would become a dull throbbing pain. I have never made a more foolish prediction. The worst physical torture imaginable cannot compare to the pain of losing a child."

Christopher felt the corners of his eyes burning and a painful lump in his throat made it hard to breathe, let alone speak. He hadn't really spoken about Alfred's death to anyone; perhaps he shared an occasional word or two with Phil, but aside from that he kept his mourning private. He didn't want to continue, the painful look of dread on Martina's face made him squeamish about finishing his thought.

But he couldn't end abruptly. He had to finish.

"What, Lady Martina, would you do if your daughter died?"

She flinched as though she had been stabbed by his words. Her face drained of color and, trembling, she wilted into her husband's arms.

"I'm sorry," Christopher whispered hoarsely, "I don't want to be cruel. But I don't want anyone else to suffer as I have suffered. That is the only reason why asked what you would do if you lost your daughter."

"If, if my Marinnie died, I, I would march right down to Hell to get her back," Martina declared shakily. She paused, and when she spoke again her voice was far stronger and determined. "I would rescue Marinnie's soul if she died; I would march right into Hell and force the Hellmaster to return my daughter. If he refused to give her back, why then I'd fight him armed only with my faith in Zoamelgustar and my love for my daughter… and I wouldn't need Lord Zoamelgustar to defeat the Hellmaster."

"I- I see," Christopher stammered, taken aback by her passion.

"So whether you like it or not, we of Xoana will be staying to help Seyruun," Zangulas concluded. With that decided, the King and Queen of Xoana swept out of the chamber and after Amelia and her father.

Christopher watched them go, slightly awestruck. He began to follow them, stopped, and looked once more out the window.

"The city is so alive today," he whispered reverently.

He couldn't allow it to die.

……………………

Filia paced along the top of the wall near the South Gate, from her twitching tail to her clenched fists, her body language screamed. Milgasia sat nearby and stared dreamily across the picturesque countryside. Filia halted her pacing abruptly and turned to her placid uncle.

"Why are you so calm?"

Milgasia looked up at her and raised an eyebrow at her question.

"It's just, you don't seem to be flustered at all." Filia tugged at her cloak hem fretfully. "Nothing seems to bother you."

"Would you care to go into more detail?" Milgasia inquired calmly. "I don't think I understand what you're basing your statements off of."

"You didn't show any terror or anger when Xelloss told us to that he killed those two Mazoku because he wanted us to stay away from Seyruun… you, you just listened." Filia brushed her hair out of her eyes nervously. "When Ms. Lina was about to turn that old human into a living bonfire, you were the only one (aside from that peculiar clone fellow) who didn't seem fazed. In fact, I heard you asking The Devil Dragon King if he wanted to play chess! You were joking when Lina was on the edge of going ballistic!" Filia caught her breath and held it for a few seconds while she calmed down. "I don't understand how you can stay so calm in the face of danger. I'm a bit envious."

"I've never seen the point of panicking," Milgasia replied. "It doesn't accomplish anything and most of the time there's nothing to worry about."

"Doesn't an angry Ms. Lina count as something to worry about?"

"Yes," Milgasia admitted, "But there was no reason for worry earlier today. You see, Filia, even though Ms. Inverse was angry, I was pretty sure she wouldn't light that fellow on fire. Lina Inverse has enough common sense to know that there's a time and a place for turning people into living torches."

"Lina has common sense," Filia muttered, "Will the wonders ever cease?"

"Now, if Ms. Inverse were to meet Captain Meleagris later today in a dark alley, the time and place wouldn't be an issue any longer. I'm sure someone would end up with the unpleasant duty of cleaning up his crispy corpse."

"I see…" Filia muttered, trying to disassociate the idea of Captain Meleagris' burnt remains with an image of a roasted turkey. She shook her head and picked a new topic of discussion. "So, why were you so calm when Xelloss said he didn't want us to come to Seyruun?"

"Because, _if_ he wanted to kill us," Milgasia said, confusing Filia by emphasizing the word 'if'. "It would've been too late to escape or fight. Getting angry or fearful would have nourished him, so the wisest course of action was to wait and accept whatever fate came as gracefully as possible."

"Oh." Filia sat down next to the older Golden Dragon and clasped her hands in her lap. "So if Xelloss appeared suddenly, ready to kill us, would you just sit there and accept it as fate?"

"Possibly," Milgasia replied. "But there's no point in worrying about that. Xelloss won't come to kill us. He'll go after Lina and Gourry."

"What makes you say that? Are we not worth the trouble?"

"No, it's not that we aren't a nuisance for Xelloss," Milgasia answered blandly, "But Lina Inverse is infinitely more…" he trailed off, unable to come up with an appropriate word to describe the sorceress.

"I understand." Filia poured three cups of tea, handed one to Milgasia, left one on the wall next to her, and wrapped her hands around the last. "There's something about Lina that can't be put into words but can be blamed for every bit of trouble, luck, and adventure she attracts."

Milgasia nodded and sipped his tea.

"Well," Filia mused, "I'm not like you, Uncle Milgasia. I don't think I can calmly look at danger and accept any outcome. I don't think I'd let Xelloss kill me without calling him a few names first."

"That's alright; the world needs a few reckless, brave souls. There are too many old, patient men like me."

"I'm not very reckless and I'm not particularly brave," Filia sighed. "Lina and her friends are the reckless ones."

"You're one of her friends, aren't you?"

"Well, I hope so," said Filia. She paused and then smiled slightly. "Yes, yes I am one of Lina Inverse's friends."

"I'm glad," Milgasia remarked. "You should know that you're very brave, Filia. I dare say Ms. Inverse spooks quite a few dragons."

The two dragons shared a chuckle as they waited and watched.

……………………

'_This room needs an interior decorator,'_ Marinnie decided as her stocking feet slid over the polished stone floor. _'The floor is cool and fun, so it can stay. But the granite walls are getting boring pretty quickly.' _The Hellmaster slipped back to the table, clambered back into the chair, and got to work putting her impractical shoes on again. _'I bet a nice crystal would do wonders for this room's atmosphere. Especially if it had a few dead people in it… yes, that would make this room into a home.'_

"For the record," Zelgadis said to the two youngsters seated before him. "I don't like children."

"Oh yeah?" Marinnie challenged, "Well I don't like you."

"That's fine," Zelgadis shrugged. "I'm not asking you to like me. I'm asking you to be quiet and behave."

"I'll behave as soon as she stops touching me," Val offered, scooting away from Marinnie's fight with her second shoe.

"I'm not touching you!" Marinnie countered like many young children from every alternate universe in existence. Zelgadis felt a headache coming on.

"You are too." Val scooted further away and crossed his arms.

"I am not!" Angrily, Marinnie jabbed her finger into his arm.

"You are too!" Val's wings flared out and threatened to knock into the ugly vase that Filia disapproved of. "You're poking me!"

"But I'm not touching you," Marinnie smirked triumphantly. "My electron field is being repelled by your electron field. I'm really not touching you."

"Is that how you see it?" Val demanded. "Then take this!" He shoved Marinnie and she fell out of her chair with a yelp. "You fell out of your chair on your own, I didn't touch you."

The two children began to bicker over the mechanics of Val shoving Marinnie out of her chair and who was to blame and the true reason behind the chicken crossing the road.

Zelgadis' head throbbed.

"You look like you could use some coffee," a female voice observed. She handed the chimera a mug before he could reply.

"Thank you," Zelgadis sighed gratefully before realizing that he couldn't enjoy the dark liquid without taking his mask off. The two children ceased quarrelling to stare at the woman.

"Take the mask off," the waitress ordered. "I won't be scared, I've seen much worse." The beautiful sword in her hand encouraged Zelgadis to comply with her demand. "Do you mind if I sit?" She inquired as she seated herself across the table from Zelgadis. "Why, thank you for being so polite."

"Y-you're…" Marinnie gasped, gawking at the waitress. The Princess of Xoana was trembling visibly.

"Who are you?" Val asked, his amber eyes narrowed in suspicion. Marinnie slapped a hand across the Ancient Dragon's mouth with more force than was really necessary.

"We're going to play over there," she declared, pointing to the corner farthest from the waitress. "We'll be quiet. Just ignore us, okay?" Unwittingly ignoring the laws of physics, Phibrizzo lugged the startled Ancient Dragon across the room. Zelgadis spared them a raised brow before turning to examine the waitress.

She wasn't very tall; Zelgadis placed her at only a few inches taller than Lina. However, although he tried to ignore such things, Zelgadis could see that she was more... curvaceous than the fiery sorceress would ever be. Her hair was tidy and dark, and her bangs completely obscured her eyes. Something about the way she carried herself, the way she smirked, and the mild Zephilian accent reminded the chimera of Lina Inverse. It was strange.

She chuckled, "Aren't children cute?"

"Not in the slightest."

"I used to say that all the time, especially about my baby sister."

"Oh?" Zelgadis mumbled. He examined the deep indentions on the oaken table and the delicate fissures beside his mug. Amelia must've been furious.

"But now I wish I hadn't been so harsh on my little sister. Now I wish I had been a better sister when she was small." The woman brushed her hair out of her face and, for a second, her unnervingly pale eyes stared directly at Zelgadis. "My sister has grown up; she's changed so much I hardly recognize her."

"Why are you telling me this?" Zelgadis asked as he finished the last of the coffee.

"No reason really," she admitted, "You're right there and I feel like talking about my sister. Maybe it's 'cause you seem like you could learn something."

"What could I learn?"

"The people you care about have a habit of growing up when you aren't looking. So instead of wanting something you can't have, try appreciating what you have. You must protect what you do have." She smirked and leaned back in her chair. "If the rumors I've heard are accurate, then that's the lesson you should learn, Zel."

Metal screeched against stone as Zelgadis shoved his chair away from the dented table and drew his sword defensively. The woman was startling.

"Take it easy," she ordered as she disarmed him quickly. "I'm not here to fight with you. Honestly, I'm here to help you out a bit."

"Oh?" His eyes darted over to his sword nervously. _'Maybe I can get to it before she can…'_

"Yup, I'm offering to watch those adorable children in the corner while you go and fight along side your friends. I promise I won't eat them or anything like that, I'm not a monster. What do you say?" She cocked her head to the side and stared at him, waiting for him to agree to her offer.

Zelgadis kept glancing towards his sword.

She sighed impatiently and motioned towards his blade, "If I let you get your sword will you agree?"

"Very well," Zelgadis replied reluctantly.

"Grand," she smiled as she tossed the double-sided sword over to the chimera. "I'll watch those sweethearts and you can go find Lina and the others."

"Wait-" Zelgadis protested as the waitress steered him forcefully out of the door. "Who are you? Why should I trust you?"

"I'm an honorable lady, a chivalrous knight," she replied calmly. "The name is Inverse. Luna Inverse." With that she booted the chimera out of the room and slid the bolt across the door.

Zelgadis gaped at the door, "You're Lina's sister? I've been chatting with one of the few things Lina Inverse is terrified of?"

"Yup," said the muffled voice from the other side of the door. "By the way, Dilgear says 'hi'. Now get going, you have to hurry if you want to catch up with Lina and the others." Luna's voice offered little room for argument, and, if Lina hadn't been exaggerating in the few stories Zelgadis had heard, any argument would've been pointless and painful.

Zelgadis ran through the halls of the Seyruun Palace.

Luna turned to the two children left in her care.

"Well then," she smiled at the frightened Marinnie and stubborn Val. "I'll see you later. I have to get back to Zephilia before my lunch break is over."

"Aren't you supposed to be supervising us?" Val asked. "It's Seyruun law."

"Don't argue," Phibrizzo hissed, "Let her go away. Let her go far away."

"I know the law," said Luna as she unbolted the door to see how far away Zelgadis was. "And I know I'm not breaking the law by leaving you cuties alone. Princess, you're what? Several millennia old? That's a good deal over ten."

Phibrizzo stared at the Knight of Cepheid with a mixture of terror and eager curiosity.

"And, is it Valgaav?" Val nodded in response to Luna's query. She nodded back and continued, "You're only about a century short of a millennium, right?"

"That's right," Val answered, "If you're counting from when I was first born."

"Well, you're both over ten and that's what matters."

"Our ages aren't common knowledge," Val pointed out, "So it seems like you're breaking Seyruun law."

"I'm a citizen of Zephilia," Luna said, rolling her hidden eyes. "No one can complain if I'm not familiar with recent Seyruun legislature. Be careful, Val. Take care Phibs."

She opened a door in the air and stepped back into Zephilia, trusting that Lina would take care of the rest.

……………………

Lina kicked a loosened cobblestone along the Seyruun street, occasionally shoving unsuspecting tourists out of the way so she didn't lose track of her stone. Gourry followed after her, although he stopped frequently to help the unfortunate tourists up. Gaav trailed a short distance behind them, intent on observing every building on the street.

Much to her disappointment, Lina's rock skidded below a fish vendor's cart where it sat barely out of reach. Try as she might, her pebble eluded her grasp. She spent five minutes on her knees twisting her arm and stretching her fingers. Gourry and Gaav caught up with her and waited until she was convinced that the retrieval of the cobblestone was a lost cause.

"It looks like it's going to rain," Gourry mentioned as he stared critically at the wispy clouds drifting in the piercing blue sky.

Lina grunted and dragged her arm out from below the fish vendor's cart.

"I don't think it'll rain," said Gaav as he looked at the sparse clouds. "It doesn't look like rain."

Gourry made a neutral sound and continued to look doubtfully at the clouds.

"So," Lina said as she brushed dust off of her knees, "What took you guys so long?"

"Um…" Gourry muttered.

"I was enjoying the architecture here in Seyruun," Gaav replied. "It's boring. All the buildings look the same to me."

"That's why they put signs up in front of stores, inns, and restaurants," Lina explained confidently. "Well, let's get back to patrolling." She spun around and began to walk down the street.

"Wait! Ms. Lina, wait!" A familiar voice halted her progress and Lina scanned the street for the speaker.

"Sylphiel!" The sorceress exclaimed brightly when the shrine maiden tapped her on the shoulder. "It's been a while! What have you been up to?"

"Oh, this and that," Sylphiel responded vaguely as she glanced at the blond swordsman standing next to Lina. "Hello, Gourry-dear. It's good to see you again."

"Um, hi," Gourry greeted weakly. "Yeah, it's good to see you too." He grinned at her before Lina began to talk again.

Lina began to regale Sylphiel with tales of her adventures since the defeat of Phibrizzo. Gourry, who had been there but didn't need to remember, and Gaav, who had heard a slightly less embellished version of events several weeks ago, tuned Lina out for a bit.

"Why does that girl call you 'Gourry-dear'?" Gaav asked. He had a fairly good idea, but he wanted Gourry's explanation.

Gourry shrugged, "That's just what Sylphiel does."

"Oh really?" _'Are you really that stupid?'_

"Yeah, it's kind of weird but it's what she does. She's a really good cook." Gourry fiddled with his breastplate for a minute or two, refusing to meet Gaav's eyes. "So why were you looking at buildings?"

"'Cause it's weird to see how much Seyruun has changed since when it was built."

"You were here when Seyruun was built?" Gourry's eyes were wide with wonder.

"Yeah…"

"Huh." Gourry turned away and muttered, "You must be really, really, really old."

Gaav decided not to take offense at the swordsman's observation. As far as humans could see, it was true.

"Do you know a lot about Seyruun then? Do you know about that holey barrier everyone was talking about earlier? Why bother making a barrier if it isn't secure?"

"That's a HOLY barrier. Holy as in the 'Power of Good'. That's why it affects Mazoku."

"Oh, like the magic Filia uses."

"Right."

"So what's with that barrier? How's it made?"

"Are you ready for a mangled history lesson?" Gaav asked, dreading the prospect of trying to recall all the details in proper order.

"No," Gourry admitted cheerfully. "But I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Go ahead."

Lina's voice rose slightly over their conversation as she ranted about pigs and penguins and puppets and some unknown pervert who put her in a dress. Sylphiel managed to insert appropriate expressions whenever Lina paused for breath.

"Okay… let's see, the city is laid out like a hexagram," Gaav said slowly.

"And that's the magic symbol for balance, right? Lina told me that much." Gourry enjoyed the look of surprise on the Devil Dragon's face; it wasn't every day that Gourry was able to astound someone with his memory. "I'm wondering what would happen if part of the walls making the hexagram got broken and then rebuilt."

"Once the seal gets broken, then it's useless. It's kind of like a beer can with a hole on the bottom." _'Speaking of beer cans…'_

"Wait, didn't you say that the barrier didn't have holes?" Gourry glanced around nervously.

"The barrier isn't broken," Gaav corrected, "It doesn't have holes."

"But," Gourry protested as he strained his brain, there was something very important just beyond him. "But Lina blew up that part of the wall when she blew that floating rock up that time when she pretended to be dead to surprise that one guy. Does that mean that the barrier does have holes?"

Gaav stared, first at Gourry and then at the wall nearby.

Now that the blond mentioned it, a large portion of the wall did look different from the rest. The buildings, although very similar in style to those in the rest of the city, looked newer. The cobblestones in the street were arranged in a different pattern than the streets back by the palace. The portion of Seyruun that they stood in had been built much more recently than the rest of the city.

Gaav inhaled slowly. An acrid scent hid a layer below all the other smells of the city. It was an odor that Gaav was far too familiar with.

"Say, Ms. Lina," Sylphiel interrupted as Lina recalled how Jiras had, idiotically, packed a bomb full of fireworks. "I have something very important that I must talk to you about."

'_Please don't ask about Gourry,'_ Lina prayed, _'Please give me more time to come up with a better answer.'_

"Ah, sure, what do you want to talk about?" Lina forced her cheeks into a smile. It was a painfully fake smile.

Sylphiel opened her mouth to speak.

A soft sound, like glass shattering in another room, rippled through the air.

Then the screaming started from the next street over.

They turned.

And Hell broke loose.

……………………

**Author's Note to the Generous Reader:** Thank you for reading my longest chapter yet. I'm sorry if it was too long. I think the action will begin to move more quickly now.

Um… if you were wondering, the frail knight named Jeffery is from one of the Slayers movies and his Japanese voice actor is the same as Xelloss, which confuses me to no end. Sometimes I wonder if Jeffery is really Xelloss… then would that mean that the crazy mother is Zelas?

As for Luna's remark that "Dilgear says 'hi'", in case you've forgotten, Dilgear is that green wolf-troll hybrid from the first arc of the first season. In one of the later episodes of Next, during the intermission, there is a screenshot of Luna Inverse and what appears to be Dilgear. …

I apologize for any out of character behavior and I hope to be able to write more soon.

Thank you, I appreciate the kindness you've shown to me.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_War_

……

He saw the creatures climbing out the shadows.

They were dark creatures, lesser demons. Claws grasped the ground as the beasts' heads, crowned with twisted, goat-like horns, broke out of the shadows followed by their monstrous faces and muscular, bristle-covered bodies. He saw their glittering eyes filled with brutish malice and their hungry maws opening one by one to reveal glistening fangs and strands of eager saliva.

There was screaming. The screaming hurt his ears.

Terror made even the most baritone of voices rise into a keening wail. It hurt.

'_Tune it out,'_ he instructed himself, _'It'll only distract you. This isn't Sairaag. Tune it out.'_ His ears obeyed and the shrill cries of terror became a mildly annoying buzz in the background.

Lina shouted his name. He leapt to the side and rolled back onto his feet before he finished falling.

Her arms were swimming slowly through the air as she pulled a handful of Gaav's power into her control. Her hands and fingers took the raw energy and spun it around and around as though it was demonic cotton candy. In mere seconds, a glowing sphere gyrated between her open palms.

"Gaav Flare!" Lina yelled, hurling the power into a lesser demon that had risen where Gourry's shadow had existed a moment earlier.

The creature let out a shriek before a pleasant summer breeze scattered its ashy remains. Several more of the lesser demons, perhaps attracted by their dead comrade's final cry, began to charge down the street towards Lina.

"Ms. Lina!" Sylphiel cried out in warning as a clawed hand reached for the sorceress out from under a flowerpot's shadow.

'_Don't dodge to your left,'_ Gourry prayed as his sword slipped out of its sheath and into his hands and his legs began to move, _'Please don't dodge to the left.'_

Lina, out of habit, dodged to the left; thus leaving her back exposed to a quartet of lesser demons.

"Gourry!" Gaav yelled as he backhanded one of the many snarling beasts into a building. "Let me see your sword!" Gourry swapped swords with Gaav without breaking his fluid rush towards the Mazoku threatening Lina.

Gaav's broadsword cleaved through one lesser demon so effortlessly that it felt as though Gourry's arms might not keep up with the stroke. The second of the four Mazoku managed to impale its self before it could change directions. Malodorous, dark slime splattered Gourry's chest and drenched his arms. The third stumbled slightly, perhaps nervous over the swift demise of two of its comrades, and then it hurtled towards Gourry as though it had a death wish. The swordsman allowed the borrowed sword to bite hungrily into the monster's torso.

'_There was another one…'_ Gourry's eyes darted from the road in front of him to the pouncing beast in mid-air.

"Elmekia Lance!" Lina screamed as she released a slender, green, magical projectile.

Lina's spell hit the lesser demon squarely. It hung in the air for a second or two longer than it should have as something that resembled the creature's shadow made out of light drifted away from the body. The carcass crashed into the cobblestones.

"Take your sword back!" Gaav shouted to Gourry, and once again the two men exchanged weapons without pausing.

Pale layers of energy created a fuzzy halo around Gourry's sword. If he twisted his head to the proper angle and squinted hard enough, his sword started to remind him of the Sword of Light. But the illusion was a weak one.

"Elmekia Lance!" Lina repeated, sending the spell spiraling down the street.

'_I should probably go back to Elmekia someday,'_ Gourry mused, bisecting a lesser demon absent-mindedly. _'I can't stay away forever.'_

"Ms. Lina, I must speak with you." Sylphiel's clear voice rose above the commotion. "Where shall we meet?"

"At the center of Seyruun," Lina replied briefly before sending a barrage of Flare Arrows into a group of Mazoku attempting to flank them, "In the Temple of Cepheid. Stay there, stay safe, help people, and wait for us!"

"Right!" Sylphiel brushed her dark hair out of her eyes and turned to run towards safety.

Her path was an obstacle course of the brutish invaders.

"Gaav," Lina yelled as Sylphiel began to dash bravely down the street. "Get Sylphiel there safely. Please."

The tall red-head nodded, ran a lesser demon through, threw the disintegrating body to the cobblestones, and, with a whirl of his orange coat, he ran after the shrine maiden. Gaav grabbed Sylphiel around the waist and yanked her away from several snapping jaws.

"Sorry." Gourry heard the Devil Dragon King mutter. "There's just no good way to grab a woman."

'_I hear you.' _Gourry agreed silently, _'Lina likes to kick.'_

The Devil Dragon King's form faded along with Sylphiel mere instants before Lina cast a Dil Brando into the ground. A pair of lesser demons soared upwards in a comical arc.

"Let's drive them out of the city limits." Lina instructed as her fingers siphoned the air around her and drew power into her hands. A bright pentagram appeared, emblazoned on the earth before her, and, with her shouted command, ice erupted from the ground.

"Right," Gourry grunted.

He knew her plan: the first half was 'Dragon' and the second part was 'Slave'. It was a simple, effective, _'makes-everything-alright-in-the-end' _kind of plan.

'_I wonder why Xelloss didn't want us here.'_ He ducked a ball of darkness that screamed over his head. _'He probably doesn't see any need to protect us and Lina is the only one he views as a threat.'_ Gourry chopped a lunging monster into tidy slices. _'But Xelloss doesn't lie. He always tells the truth. Sometimes he tells half of the truth and sometimes he tells a misleading truth, but it's always the truth.' _The swordsman swung his blade in a wide arc, forcing a pair of lesser demons to hop away._ 'There has to be a reason for him not wanting us here.'_ Gourry kicked an abandoned cart into an oncoming demon, stalling it and before lopping off two of its limbs and severing its neck. _'Oh well,'_ He paused and glanced up at the cheery summer sky, _'We'll find out.'_

……………………

She didn't know how they had entered the city.

She didn't really need to know how they got in.

She needed to protect her people.

"Please evacuate in an orderly manner," Amelia instructed the mass of people shoving one another as they rushed towards the gate. "Don't panic," she cried over the wails of terror and the roaring of the lesser demons.

The demons crashed through buildings and swiped at the mob of terrified people. Although the monsters were close enough for Amelia to smell their rancid stench and see individual hairs in their bristly manes, she hadn't the creatures kill a single citizen of Seyruun. It was as though the lesser demons were purposely leaving the human mob alive.

"Don't panic! Keep a love of Justice in your hearts and have faith! Do not fear and the creatures of darkness will lose to you!" Amelia yelled; but a refreshed wail of fear drowned her cry of encouragement out.

'_I hope everyone else is okay,'_ Amelia thought as she scanned the crowd streaming out of the city.

A woman caught Amelia's eye. It was odd, because the woman didn't stand out much. Her blonde hair wasn't unusually bright; in fact, it was rather bland and tangled. Her face was as terrified as the face of the man pushing past her. Her dingy dress looked as though it had been plucked right out of the discount bin and she clutched a bundle of possessions to her breast. She was just another person in the flood of frightened humans.

The woman shrieked, stumbled clumsily, and fell forward on to the cobblestones.

Amelia's heart stopped for a few elongated seconds as she lost sight of the ordinary woman among the trampling feet.

The princess plunged into the herd of people.

She knew that the woman would not survive long under the assault of fleeing feet. Amelia shoved through the forest of arms and the jostle of bodies until she reached the fallen woman. Quickly she grabbed the battered body and cast a Levitation spell.

Amelia resisted the impulse to gag when she laid the woman's body down out of the stampede's path.

It was only then that Amelia saw the unnatural twist and bend in the unknown woman's neck. It was only then that she noticed that one part of the woman's skull was too flat on one side. It was only then that Amelia realized that she couldn't hear the woman breathe.

The blood seeping along the woman's bruising face and the small strand of saliva slipping from her slack mouth made Amelia's knees weak with fear.

'_Please let me save her,'_ the princess prayed as she began to chant a healing spell.

Fear and all other negative emotions rushed out of Amelia's mind momentarily as she opened a conduit for the white magic to flow. Pure light cascaded down and into her physical body as the spell began to condense. Amelia took control of the magic gently and directed it carefully towards her hands planted on the beaten woman's unmoving body.

'_Let me save her,'_ Amelia instructed the magic as it flowed, almost like a river, into the form before her. _'Please, do not let her die.'_

Powerful pulses of brightness erupted from Amelia's hands and entered the woman's chest. Under Amelia's command, sparks of white magic zipped up and down the woman's form, carefully mending the body. Amelia allowed her mind to follow the path of the healing.

She closed a cut here and fixed a bruise there.

She tried to push the pool of blood out of the woman's brain and back into circulation.

She tried to coax the spinal cord back into shape.

She tried, she tried so hard, she tried so horribly hard, to force the healing magic to ease a shard of the woman's ribcage out of her still heart.

The heart did not beat.

"I'm too late," Amelia whispered.

She sobbed. Hot tears spilled out of her eyes and splashed on the dead woman's face. She lifted her hands away from the corpse and allowed them to drop to her sides. Tears continued to fall from her eyes as she mourned for the poor woman and her unfortunate demise.

It wasn't fair, it wasn't right.

The woman shouldn't have died so horridly, beaten to death below the feet of her countrymen.

It was wrong, it was unjust.

It made Amelia's heart ache.

Carefully, Amelia brushed the woman's tangled locks out of her ordinary face. She wondered who the woman was, what her life was like, and who else would weep for her now that she was dead.

"I pray for you," Amelia murmured awkwardly to the body. She closed her moist eyes and recited a few of her favorite prayers. She remembered whispering the same prayers to her mother's coffin many, many, many years ago.

A low growl broke through her meditation. A trio of lesser demons crouched a few feet away, staring at her with their inhuman red eyes.

They weren't attacking or preparing to attack. The three monsters were patiently sitting on their haunches and watching the sorrowful princess. Their brutish, beast-like faces wore twisted expressions akin to curiosity.

"What do you want?" Amelia demanded as she leapt to her face and rubbed a fist across her eyes. "If your intention is to harm my people then I shall have to qualms against smiting you with the power of my righteous wrath. However, if you flee now then I shall be happy to allow you to live."

The largest of the creatures stood and lumbered lazily towards Amelia. She strengthened her stance and began to concentrate her willpower into her clenched hands.

The monster's arm shot forward like a striking viper.

It wasn't reaching for Amelia.

The lesser demon's claws grasped for the body beside her.

"NO!" Amelia cried vehemently, punching the large arm before it caught hold of the dead woman. "She's already dead! Leave her alone!"

The Mazoku retreated swiftly, bleeding a foul-smelling darkness and without one of its arms.

"You will not disturb the dead," Amelia announced. _'I wonder if they can even understand what I'm saying… is it possible for humans and Mazoku to truly communicate? Does diplomacy have a chance when creatures of evil are involved?' _"I, Amelia, cannot allow you to disrespect one who can no longer cry out against injustice. If you wish to disrupt this poor soul's eternal rest, then you must defeat me first!"

The demon with one arm glanced at the other two, and the trio of lesser demons shared a look that transcended every communication barrier and clearly revealed their communal thought to Amelia.

"_What's up with this crazy chick?!"_

'_Surely they can taste my blazing fury,'_ Amelia thought, _'Mazoku thrive off of such emotions.'_

After a moment of stupid looks, the beasts turned to Amelia with their mouths full of fire. Amelia's legs tensed as she prepared to spring dramatically out of harm's way. A mild summer breeze drifted down the street and strand of bland blonde hair curled up against Amelia's boot. The princess' eyes widened in shock.

'_I must not move,'_ Amelia realized in horror. _'If I move, then they will destroy this woman's body. I cannot allow that.' _Amelia bit her lip and looked back at the demons, _'I don't have enough time to cast a shield; I must face these attacks head on.'_

Three searing arrows flew towards her. Unconsciously, she winced.

'_**Sometimes, sacrifices must be made in the name of Justice…'**_

Crimson slashed diagonally before her squinting eyes. The fiery projectiles scattered and disappeared.

Amelia smiled at her savior's back.

The off-white cape hung across his shoulders and billowed to enhance the drama of his entrance. Sunlight glinted off his metallic hair and dazzled her eyes. His glowing sword pointed directly at the unholy creatures.

He was the portrait of a hero.

Her hero.

"Amelia," said Zelgadis, "You were acting like a martyr."

A drop of sweat slid down the side of her face. Zelgadis had a point.

"Please, Mr. Zelgadis," she implored the chimera. "Don't tell Ms. Lina."

A small smile stole across his face.

"Very well."

The lesser demons roared and sent a new volley of Flare Arrows at Amelia and Zelgadis. The spells hit Amelia's quickly cast barrier and dispersed harmlessly into the air. Zelgadis ran towards and through the group of lesser demons. Seconds later he halted in the _"It's-the-end-of-the-battle-if-you-missed-it"_ pose number three-hundred-and-seventy-four.

The chimera had bisected one demon vertically and cleaved another one in half horizontally. The final monster remained standing for a few minutes before collapsing to the ground and evaporating. Zelgadis sheathed his sword and smiled coolly.

"Well, that wasn't too hard," he declared smugly. "It's annoying that there are so many of these lesser demons, but we can kill all of them."

"We don't need to kill any of them," Amelia countered. "That would be a waste of time."

"Amelia?" _'Has she been crying?'_

"Mr. Zelgadis, I don't think the lesser demons are here to kill any of the citizens of Seyruun."

Her eyes met his and he was taken aback.

'_What was it that Luna Inverse said? "The people you care about have a habit of growing up when you aren't looking", right?'_ Zelgadis sighed. _'Amelia is no longer the little girl who pointed at me and called me suspicious. She's a woman now._'

"If you think about it, a dead human is useless to a Mazoku. Mazoku need the negative emotion of a living person," Amelia continued, unaware of Zelgadis' inner monologue. "The only logical reason a Mazoku would kill something would be if that being posed a threat. Since most of the citizens of Seyruun do not have the ability to harm a lesser demon, the creatures of darkness are better off leaving the humans alive."

"What are we supposed to do if we don't need to fight the lesser demons?" _'Who, I wonder, is that woman on the ground?'_

"We must protect the people of Seyruun."

"From what?"

Her eyes went to the pitiful corpse on the cobblestones, "Themselves."

"That won't be easy."

"The path of Justice is not a simple one. It is, however, the one that I choose to follow."

"Justice, eh?" _'There are some things that she will never grow out of…'_

"Come on, Mr. Zelgadis," Amelia proclaimed, sensing that he didn't have any complaints against protecting people from themselves. "Let us go and spread a soothing balm upon the hearts of the people!"

Amelia and Zelgadis began to run down the street in the direction of the city's eastern gate.

"By the way, Mr. Zelgadis?"

"What is it?"

"Why aren't you babysitting?"

"…It's a long story…"

……………………

Xelloss stared at the elegant pocket watch in his hand.

It was a nice watch. The silver and gold body wasn't too gaudy, but it spoke of wealth and class. The delicate chain was the perfect length and the crystal watch face was clear and unscratched. The numbers were fancy without becoming hideous. The hands were marvelous bits of metal lace.

One of the three gorgeous hands was a source of great ire for Xelloss.

His narrow eyes glared at the fastest moving hand.

Seconds.

Who the hell came up with the idea of measuring time in seconds?

Xelloss wanted to murder the inventor of seconds. Seconds were so frustrating. They counted off quickly, but there were so many of them. No one even used seconds. Mazoku didn't need to care about time and Golden Dragons lived so long that a second was obsolete. Wolves and other animals didn't use watches and humans, in Xelloss' opinion, had yet to come up with a good reason for making seconds.

The Trickster Priest could understand years. Those were short, but humans changed greatly in the course of a year.

Days also made sense. After all, animals measured things in days, didn't they? There was the sunlit half, during which the diurnal creature roamed, and there was the nighttime, during which the nocturnal animals reigned. Xelloss liked the night.

Measuring time in hours was verging on frivolous as far as Xelloss was concerned. Why take a day, which was brief enough, and rip it into smaller portions? It didn't make sense.

Then again, humans weren't a very logical species.

Of course people weren't satisfied with dissecting years and days. Once time suffered the indignity of splitting into hours, some fool decided to shred it into minutes. Minutes only made sense with hours. Minutes were smaller than hours so humans could coordinate their actions with more precision. For some reason, mortals liked following organized schedules.

Minutes also fell victim to dismemberment. Minutes, fleeting as they were, got chopped up into seconds.

Seconds.

Xelloss hated seconds.

Seconds served no purpose. They ticked on methodically, oblivious to how useless they were. Humans didn't use seconds.

Why did humans create seconds? Did they enjoy the noise reminding them of their impending death? Surely not, Xelloss had seen hoards of humans go to great lengths to keep death at bay. There was no logical reason for seconds to count the time lost in a human's short lifespan.

Humans probably didn't like seconds. Xelloss hated seconds with a passion.

The constant noise was enough to drive him to distraction.

"Lord Xelloss?"

He snapped the irritating watch closed and tucked it into his satchel.

A weak Mazoku, a lesser demon, bowed before him. Like many other lesser demons in the service of the Beastmaster, it was hirsute and a pair of curling horns sprouted from its skull.

"Can I help you?" Xelloss asked. He waited for a minute to see if the Mazoku would speak without permission. Admirably, it didn't. "You may now speak."

"Thank you, Lord Xelloss," it replied gutturally. "On behalf of the LDU, the Lesser Demons' Union, I wish to ask you a question, sir."

"Ask. I might not answer." _'Dear me, the Lesser Demons' Union? When did they unionize?'_

"Thank you, Lord Xelloss. We wanted to know why we can't kill any of the people of Seyruun."

"I'm glad you asked," Xelloss smiled. _'It's about time someone gets enough nerve to talk to me and questions my objectives.'_ "The reasoning behind my order is rather simple."

The lesser demon looked up eagerly.

'_Should I keep my motives a secret? No, that would be boring and predictable. Should I share my main motive? No, that would be stupid. I may as well use a distantly connected reason.'_ "You see, my fiendishly furry friend," Xelloss rolled the alliteration on his tongue blissfully. "In some places of this world, there are starving people. That's why you shouldn't waste food."

If the lesser demon had had eyelids, it would've blinked in confusion.

"If, if you say so, sir."

"I do believe I said so," said Xelloss with satisfaction. "Is there anything else you're concerned about?"

The creature grunted and shifted uncomfortably under the Trickster Priest's gaze.

"Yes?" Xelloss eyed the nervous Mazoku predatorily.

"There is only one more thing that I wish to speak to you about, Lord Xelloss."

"Do tell. The suspense is killing me."

"Why did you only allow the weakest tenth of the lesser demons to participate in the initial strike against Seyruun?"

"It's essential to building the perfect scene," Xelloss replied patiently. "The Mazoku in Seyruun right now are creating a panic. In a bit, I will have them retreat from the city," _'And then Lina will vaporize them.' _"That will allow hope to rise in the citizens of Seyruun. As soon as they believe that they are safe, the rest of our forces will appear and return the humans to the pit of despair. It's the art of crushing hope."

"I see; you truly are a tactical genius, Lord Xelloss. When will the retreat happen?"

"Soon enough," Xelloss said with a shrug, a habit he had picked up around Lina.

"Any second?" The lesser demon asked enthusiastically.

Xelloss' face contorted in rage and he responded to the query by blasting the monster apart.

"Seconds," he snarled, "Are an insult to time."

Xelloss took a deep, but, since he lacked lungs, thoroughly unnecessary breath, and composed himself.

"You're right though," Xelloss informed the pile of ash, "It's a good time to continue on with my plan."

……………………

Gaav squinted up at the sky.

Every sky he could remember seeing since he'd gotten tossed into Lina Inverse's life a few weeks ago was a cheery shade of bright blue with a few wispy clouds tossed in for variation. The sky over Seyruun was just another variation on that theme.

It was getting a little old.

"This sky really screws with the atmosphere of battle," Gaav complained aloud. "It's enough to make me wish for rain."

He kicked a lesser demon out of his way and continued to stroll down the street. He'd find Lina and Gourry eventually, it was inevitable.

Gaav didn't notice when the clouds began to gather.

……………………

Lina was surprised when the lesser demons started to retreat. She hadn't killed as many as she thought would be necessary to drive them out of the city.

'_Oh well, never look a gift horse in the mouth.'_

Lina decided that fate or karma or the Lord of Nightmares or something else was wither giving her a late birthday present or setting up and elaborate joke when the creatures gathered in a large cluster a decent distance outside of the walls.

Either way, it was perfect. Almost a little too perfect.

'_So what if it's a trap, I'm not going to waste a perfect opportunity for a good Dragon Slave or two,'_ Lina decided happily.

"Gourry," she called cheerfully, "Get your sunglasses!"

Lina adjusted her posture, closed her eyes, and opened her mind.

……………………

Amelia looked up from the stream of people headed eastward.

Power was stirring on the other side of Seyruun.

A column of crimson energy reached into the gathering clouds. Tendrils of the bloody hue floated in lazy circles and lashed out viciously. Amelia could feel all of the shadows in the city gravitating towards the ruby tinted power as though the energy was a magnet and the shadows were iron filings.

Amelia frowned.

"I hope Ms. Lina doesn't destroy too much of the city…"

……………………

**Darkness beyond twilight.**

Her shadow twisted and warped as she began to intone the description of the Dark Lord. Lina smirked as she felt the familiar aura of Shabranigdo embracing her from below.

The evil power was almost like a favorite teddy bear.

**Crimson beyond the blood that flows.**

As the spell began to gather, pain assaulted her, starting with her legs and working up from there.

The searing energy raced up her legs like children with soccer cleats charging up a rickety spiral staircase. Lina smiled through gritted teeth. The darkness reached the base of her spine and paused briefly, judging her strength.

Satisfied, the magic flew up her backbone. It felt as though each and every vertebra was an inferno. Lina concentrated on controlling the burning energy, battling the ruby colored darkness fiercely.

Her cheeks hurt with the force of her joyous grin.

**Buried in the flow of time…**

The spell danced along her scalp, struggling vainly to fry her brains and defeat her will. The feeling was one of Lina's favorites, only slightly below Gourry's embrace.

The inside of her head tingled and smoldered, and Lina wondered if it was a similar sensation to being drunk.

**In thy great name I pledge myself to the darkness.**

'_And I accept your pledge,' _the voice of Ruby-Eyes Shabranigdo echoed through her mind and across her skin. _'Do not disappoint me.'_

**All the fools who stand in our way shall be destroyed…**

The resistance disappeared and the exquisite force infused her body. Magic caressed every cell in her body with immeasurable hate and love. The wonderful, beautiful, repulsive, destructive energy waited in her palms.

Lina smiled.

**By the power you and I possess.**

'_My blood is laughing.'_

**DRAGON SLAVE!**

……………………

**Author's Note to the Compassionate Reader:** Um… this chapter was a good deal shorter than the previous, wasn't it? That's because I've discovered that writing a battle scene is really difficult… I'm sorry if the action was a tad lackluster and repetitive.

I think the hardest part for me to write in this chapter was when Amelia was trying to save the trampled woman. I kept crying and I'm not really sure why.

I'm sorry if there wasn't very much comedy in this chapter...

Thank you for reading, it really does make my day.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

**Author's Note to the Wonderful Reader:**… …

COLLEGE ADMISSIONS STRESS!

…I'm deeply sorry. I didn't mean to take so long to write this chapter… I apologize ahead of time if the characters seem out of character and if the writing isn't that great; I hope that this isn't the case, but I've been a tad bit beyond stressed and nervous. I hope this gets through okay, the site was being rather iffy at this time.

If it isn't too much to ask, may I request your feedback about this particular chapter if you have the time? I would be grateful to hear from you.

Um… thank you for reading, it truly makes me happy.

Once again, I'm sorry.

……

_Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day. _

……

A long time ago, after the second time she cast the Dragon Slave, Lina learned that people were prone to chasing after her with pitchforks and torches rather than admiring her display of magical prowess. Lina quickly mastered numerous less destructive offensive spells for the sole purpose of shaking off angry mobs.

"I like this reaction," Lina smiled, sweeping her arm across Seyruun. "This is exactly how people ought to treat me."

Gourry's brows knitted in confusion and his jaw hung open slightly. A fly buzzed into his mouth and out his left ear and traced a roller-coaster track in the air before flying away.

"Are they cheering?" The blond asked incredulously. "But, Lina, you just blew up part of Seyruun! Again!"

"Of course they're cheering!" Lina snapped as she lunged at Gourry and wrapped an arm around his neck. "Why shouldn't they be cheering? I just saved them and most of their city from doom and destruction and whatnot!" The cheers grew louder and Lina's ego swelled like a saltine in water. "Can you hear that, Gourry? They're chanting my name. My name!" _'And it isn't accompanied with a death threat or rude comments about my heritage.'_ "Of course they're cheering."

"I can hear them saying your name," Gourry gasped as he tried to pry Lina off of his neck.

"If you could hear them, then why did you ask if they were cheering? Wasn't it obvious?" Lina frowned, "You weren't trying to be stupid, were you?"

"C- Can't breathe…" the swordsman wheezed in reply as his face took on a shade similar to his own eyes.

"Whoops, my bad," Lina muttered, releasing the blond and sliding off of his broad back.

She twiddled her thumbs for a minute or two while he made sure that his throat and his lungs still functioned properly.

"So why did you ask if the citizens of Seyruun were cheering if you could hear them chanting my name?" Lina asked a second time. "You didn't think they were saying something like 'Down with Lina Inverse' or something like that, did you?" She laughed lightly at the absurdity of the thought.

"Well…" mumbled Gourry. "We've known each other for such a long time that I've kinda started to expect the angry mobs."

Lina twitched and contemplated tying the swordsman to a bed and torturing him with a rubber chicken, an ice cream scoop, and an aardvark until he apologized.

"Um, Lina?" Gourry asked nervously. Her smile was scaring him. She only smiled like that when she was planning to put him in a dress and call him 'Lala'. That smile spelled doom. "You, uh, know that I was joking, right? Lina? Lina?"

Lina hardly heard him, she was too busy fantasizing and creating an appropriate plot.

"Ms. Lina!" Amelia's voice called, "Mr. Gourry!"

Lina's crimson eyes snapped into focus and her head swiveled a few degrees farther than it should have as she sought out the source of Amelia's voice.

"Amelia!" The sorceress yelled, waving her arms in a manner that would've made a windmill envious. "Amelia! Zel!"

_'Thank goodness,'_ Gourry thought gratefully as the chimera landed on the wall, _'I'm saved.'_

Amelia released her spell and allowed her momentum to carry her into the sorceress. The two women collided, laughing, in an embrace.

"How'd you hold up?" Lina asked as she untangled her arms from Amelia. "Did you have fun?"

"We survived," Zelgadis summarized. "But I wouldn't say that we had 'fun'. Of course, we didn't destroy nearly as much of the city as you did."

"You never have much fun, Zelgadis," Lina countered chirpily. "It comes from taking things too seriously. You ought to let yourself be tickled pink by life every now and then; it's not like anything is set in stone, right?"

"Why do I get the impression that you're making fun of me and attempting to pass it off as advice?" Zelgadis shook his head as Lina stuck her tongue out cutely.

"Ms. Lina…" Amelia said in mock reproach, "Didn't we agree to not use the Dragon Slave in city limits?"

"Don't you start taking things seriously as well, Amelia," Lina chided back. "Besides, what's a city block or two between friends? I won, didn't I?"

"Well… yes, you did get rid of the Lesser Demons," Amelia admitted hesitantly. "But you destroyed three blocks and damaged at least twelve others."

"'Sometimes sacrifices must be made for the sake of Justice,'" Lina quoted gleefully as she nudged the princess in the ribs. Amelia winced and grumbled.

"Look," Gourry piped in, "Someone's already fixing Lina's mess."

A roaming band of construction workers had crawled out of the woodwork and they were busy repairing the damaged city blocks with bricks and other miraculously available building materials. Lina, Gourry, Zelgadis, and Amelia watched the men for a few minutes, wondering why a roaming band of construction workers even existed.

"You see?" Lina smiled at her assembled friends after a moment, "Everything is fine. Everyone else, even Xelloss, will turn up and we'll all go out to a nice dinner, courtesy of Seyruun city of course." _'Or something stupidly dramatic will happen that will plunge us back into battle. Either way, someone is going to buy my dinner.'_

"Why should Seyruun pay for your dinner?" Zelgadis inquired. "We're all lucky that you didn't blow up more of the city. Just because your gamble paid off doesn't mean that you deserve dinner."

"I wasn't gambling, Zel. I knew that the Dragon Slave wouldn't hurt the city too much," Lina replied airily. Her friends showered her with looks ranging from clueless to severely skeptical. Lina shook her head at their doubts, "You see the Dragon Slave was a key ingredient in my deliciously genius 'City Defense Plan Number Seventeen'."

"'City Defense Plan Number Seventeen'?" Amelia echoed in confusion. "How did your plan keep the Dragon Slave reined in?"

"It's simple, really," said Lina with a cheerful grin. "About half of the offensive Black Magic spells affect both the astral side and the real world, that's why spells like the Dragon Slave and Gaav Flare work against both Mazoku and mountains. I realized that the amount of destructive energy that manifested in our world would be significantly less if a lot of the energy was expended destroying multiple entities on the astral plane beforehand. If less energy manifested on the material plane, then I'd only scorch part of Seyruun. Therefore I knew that I could use the Dragon Slave. See? I'm a genius, aren't I?"

"You really planned all of that out?" Gourry gawked.

"Of course I did! Who do you think I am?"

"I'm sorry," Zelgadis said calmly, "I was under the impression that you were Lina Inverse."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Lina growled, cracking her knuckles menacingly.

Something cold and wet landed on the tip of her nose and she crossed her eyes to stare at the droplet of water. Her mouth slid into a discontented frown as a second raindrop landed on her clenched fist. Lina sighed and glared up at the cloudy sky.

"It would've been more dramatic if it had rained earlier…" Amelia mused as the drizzle began to pick up in intensity.

_'Something stupid is going to happen any minute now,'_ Lina groused inwardly, _'Why me?'_

……………………

Xelloss flipped through the pages of his day planner as he listened to the citizens of Seyruun joyously chanting Lina's name. The Trickster Priest smiled wryly and wrapped a strand of hair around his finger as he contemplated the effects on Lina's ego.

"Lord Xelloss," a random Lesser Demon rumbled respectfully. "We can still attack without our brethren that the human girl annihilated, but we await your orders."

"Do you hear those cheers?" Xelloss asked innocently.

"I hear them, Lord Xelloss. They make me ill."

"Can you tell what those humans are saying?" Xelloss stared through the dimensional barrier at the sorceress as she strangled the swordsman playfully.

"They seem to be repeating a name, Lord Xelloss." The Lesser Demon shifted uncomfortably. It felt as though it were a fly trapped in a web made of secretive schemes. Something about the Trickster Priest was wrapping a suffocating layers of personal plans around everything.

"The name is Lina Inverse," Xelloss murmured thoughtfully. "She's very similar to us in some ways but entirely alien in many others. She's their savior."

"Oh."

"You're not one for intelligent conversation, are you?"

"I'm sorry, Lord Xelloss."

Xelloss sighed and brushed his hair away from his face. Something felt wrong, like a bad premonition or an unsatisfying meal, and it disturbed him greatly.

"Oh good," he murmured, peering into the material realm. Lina and Amelia were staring up at the looming clouds with their palms facing upwards. "It appears as though the special effects have kicked in."

He turned and his glittering eyes surveyed the demons before him.

"Do you hear those happy cheers?"

The Trickster Priest's smile twisted as the Mazoku around him roared in synchrony with the thunder in the real world. The flickering army watched him eagerly, waiting for permission.

"How fast can you make them scream in terror?"

A multitude of fanged grins answered him.

……………………

Numerous humans dashed along the streets of Seyruun as they sought refuge from the sudden deluge. Some people stood in doorways while others hid under bridges, a few people who had lagged behind while the Lesser Demons had rampaged through the city managed to return to their houses. The rain had damped the happy mood and the exuberant chanting a good deal, but the cheering grew as the petite woman and her three friends rushed past in search of sufficient cover.

"Geez!" Lina whined as sheets of rain soaked the city streets. "I'm already soaked and it's only been a few minutes! Gourry, gimme your hair."

"Huh? Why? What're you gonna do?" Naked lightning streaked across the sky and illuminated the bamboozled expression on his face.

"Use it as an umbrella."

"I don't think that would be very effective." Amelia had tugged her cape over her head in an attempt to stay somewhat dry.

"You could cast a barrier if you hate water so much," Zelgadis pointed out as streams of rain ran down his face. "Or you could walk faster and spend less time in the storm."

"I'm not going to waste my magic," Lina responded huffily. "And I'm walking fast enough."

Amelia peeked out from her cloak at Lina. The sorceress' face reminded Amelia of a cat that her older sister had dropped into a full bath. Lina looked thoroughly irritated and soggy.

"You don't have to conserve your magic, Ms. Lina," Amelia said to her soppy friend. The princess paused as Lina continued to grumble about the weather. "The battle is over, right?"

Lina violently jabbed a finger at the dark sky, "Look. The rain. The atmosphere. Past experiences. It all says that there's more to come." She heaved an exasperated sigh, "When was the last time that we managed to start and end a battle in one shot? Something always happens."

"Don't be so Pepto-Bismol, Lina, you'll make yourself sick," Gourry chided as his wet hair flopped against his back. "You already blew up a lot of Mazoku. What's the worst that could happen now?"

Thunder cascaded through the sky like an avalanche rushing down a mountainside and it rattled their eardrums mercilessly. A jagged river of gleaming lightning minced the clouds, sliced through the air, and smashed a tree that stood a few meters away into a mass of sooty toothpicks. A few seconds of stunned silence followed the awesome display of nature's fury, and then the sound of doomed wails reached their ringing ears.

"…It sounds like something's happening," Amelia observed nervously from behind Zelgadis.

"Yeah… I think it's more Mazoku," Gourry agreed as his hand strayed towards his sword. "I guess the battle isn't done yet."

"I told you so," Lina sang smugly.

"Good for you, Lina," Zelgadis grumped, "Get off of my head."

"I was startled," Lina muttered petulantly, hopping off of Zelgadis' wiry hair. "And you were standing further away from the exploding tree." She straightened her tunic and attempted to wring the water out of her hair. "So, what do you think is happening now?"

"More Lesser Demons are assembling outside of the walls," Gaav reported from atop a building.

"Oh, it figures, doesn't it? I'm going to throttle Xelloss when I get the chance." Lina peeled her clammy gloves off and shoved them into her mantle. Then she glanced up at the Mazoku Lord standing on the building. "I don't want to know why you're standing on a building, do I? Is Sylphiel safe?"

"She was fine when I left her," Gaav shrugged. "But she might've been scared to death by an exploding tree while I've been gone." Lina hurled a slipper at the Devil Dragon King's head the way skillful ninja throw a variety of sharp, aerodynamic objects. The damp slipper bounced off his unruly mane and flapped lamely to the cobblestones.

"Ms. Lina, if you want to hurt a Mazoku you ought to use something heavier," Filia pointed out as she and Milgasia appeared beside the sorceress.

"Why's everyone congregating here?" Lina demanded. "Shouldn't someone do something about a bunch of Lesser Demons? Do you all expect me to do all of the work around here?"

"We thought it would be wise to warn you," Filia responded with a slightly defensive tone. "And I could help you get outside of the city walls and to the battle quickly."

"While we can handle a portion of the Lesser Demons, we need your help," said Milgasia as calmly as ever. "Flying is very dangerous and highly inadvisable during a lightning storm, so Filia and I have lost an important advantage. Additionally, there are many more Mazoku than we expected and therefore we're a little apprehensive. I hope you can understand our desire to contact you before we return to fighting; after all, Lina, you are our leader at this time."

Lina was quiet for a few long seconds.

"Right… I hear you." She nodded to the older Golden Dragon. Her eyes brushed over the group as she thought. "Just how many Lesser Demons are we dealing with now? A hundred?"

"More like a couple hundred, maybe a thousand. Whatever the number, it's a good fraction of Zelas' standing army," Gaav stated. "Luckily they're spread out a lot and they're just maiming people a bit rather than killing them. Unfortunately, Xelloss is sure to show up soon."

"I'll hurt him when he does show up," Lina grinned optimistically. "In the meantime, we'll deal with the Lesser Demon problem." She turned to Filia and laid a hand on the taller woman's shoulder. "Did you say you'd get us to the fight?"

"I can take us all to the wall where you can see what is happening."

"Thanks."

Filia opened her mouth and unleashed a painfully happy cry as a golden light rose around the seven people. A slight breeze caressed their wet faces and the rain ceased to fall around them for a minute. Quiet music lilted in the background as Filia concentrated on transporting the bodies from one place to another.

"Why do dragons have to be so dramatic?" Gaav wondered.

……………………

Captain Meleagris woke with an undignified squawk. He sat in his office at his desk in his chair and spent a moment wondering where in the world he was.

"My office," he grunted in satisfaction.

He glanced around the familiar room, admiring the place. A wrinkle creased his forehead as he noticed that his personal guard had abandoned him. He hadn't noticed them leave.

"I must've fallen asleep," he observed accurately. "When I find those lousy slackers I called a guard, oh, I'll demote them into a hole." With this threat uttered to the empty room he hauled his bulk away from his desk.

Something had woken him and he intended to find out what. The clock was counting the seconds in its soft, rhythmic, baritone voice. He hadn't knocked anything off of his desk nor had he spilled his coffee. Rain lashed vengefully against the glass window and a strong wind made the panes rattle and quake.

The rain had dragged him from his unusual late afternoon slumber.

"Why the hell is it raining?" Meleagris grumbled as he waddled over to the window. "It isn't supposed to rain today."

The storm disagreed with his complaint violently and made its point by demolishing his window in a spectacular fashion. The wind howled like the hounds of war and frigid ran poured into the room.

Meleagris uttered several curses and stumbled over to the window and stuck his head out. His beady eyes glared around suspiciously, as though he believed that something other than the wind had shattered his window.

He noticed several things in rapid succession.

First he saw the city of Seyruun: the pure white marble glistened like fresh snow and the streets looked like dark lace against the pale bosom of the city. Next he noticed a large, smoking crater near the western edge of the city. After that he saw dark figures, too large and hairy to be human, roaming impatiently around the walls. And then his mind focused on the rain.

There was something fascinating and disturbing about the storm. The wind screamed too loudly and the lighting leapt across the sky too frequently. The rain was too cold and the thunder was too ominous. Everything was so foreboding it bordered on ridiculous. It seemed like the set of some fanciful play about the battle between good and evil. Even the clouds appeared unnatural as they twisted in unnaturally serpentine shapes and billowed like smoke from a burning house. He could've sworn he saw the shadows of wolves running along the dark sky.

It was peculiar.

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed a woman with her long, dark hair plastered to her scalp and face and her wet tunic clinging to her curves dashing through the courtyard. He didn't give her much thought; the tempest had hypnotized the Captain of the City Guard.

Something peeked covertly out of the clouds, like a child waiting for Santa Claus to pop out of the chimney or a fox scoping out a full henhouse. It had the glittering eyes of something found in the moist earth below a rock and the joyful smile of a kitten in a sunbeam. Meleagris grew cold at the sight.

He stared and stared and stared.

……………………

"What a homogeneous army. The Beastmaster isn't much of an equal-opportunity employer, is she?" Lina mused rhetorically as she surveyed the Lesser Demons waiting outside of the city. "Well, that doesn't matter much; right now we need to get rid of them, homogeneous or not. I think this will be faster if we split up again."

"But Ms. Lina," Amelia protested, "We ought to stick together and use the Power of Unity to smite these creatures of evil! You ought to know by now that Allies of Justice are always stronger when they work together."

"What? Are you worried that you'll have a hard fight without me at your back? I know I'm wonderful, but do you really rely on my firepower that much?" Lina teased impishly.

"That isn't what I'm worried about! I'm sure that I can handle whatever comes to face me with my righteous power." Amelia turned away and stood quietly for a moment while she contemplated her words. "It's you that I'm worried about, Ms. Lina."

"What do you me—"

"My Justice Sense tells me that when Mr. Xelloss shows up you're going to be the one that he'll target. I don't want to abandon you when a showdown with our former comrade looms. How could I?" Amelia's eyes blazed with righteousness and glimmered with what looked suspiciously like suppressed tears.

"Amelia…" Lina sighed. The princess did have a valid point, Lina could admit that much. "I can deal with Xelloss when he pops up. Don't you have a duty to the people of Seyruun? I think the refugees probably need someone to clear the path to safety."

"But…" Amelia's face betrayed the struggle between her loyalty to her friends and her duty to her people.

Lina kindly offered advice to her conflicted friend, "You don't have to worry about me; I always win in the end. It's just a fact of life. People are depending on your strength right now, you need to go and be one of the leaders of Seyruun."

"Very well," Amelia said resolutely. "You're right, Ms. Lina. I feel awful leaving before you fight Mr. Xelloss, but I do have to protect those whom are defenseless. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Lina smiled, "Just take care of yourself. Zel? Can you go with her and help her out?"

"I was planning to."

"Good. Filia, Milgasia, I want you two to also go with Zel and Amelia and help get the evacuees to safety." Lina sized up her companions quickly. "Um... Gaav, you'll…"

"Stay with you and Gourry for a bit and then run off in search of a better fight."

"Fine. Does that work with everyone?" Lina asked. A round of affirmations replied. "Good, then let's go!"

Amelia and Zelgadis leapt off of the wall and Filia teleported to the ground a few seconds faster than Milgasia. By Lina's directions they hurried away, through Lesser Demons and towards the diverted stream of refugees.

Lina watched them as they went. She was confident that they would be fine, after all, they had all faced exponentially worse and come out alive; but she wasn't confident enough to resist following them with her eyes for a short while.

"Lina." Gourry nudged her arm gently. "We have to fight too."

"Huh?" Lina blinked. "Oh. Oh, right. Are you ready to jump?" She asked as she grabbed her guardian's hand.

"Y-yeah… I'm ready." Gourry's face contradicted his statement. "Just don't drop me too soon."

Lina smiled and squeezed his hand reassuringly.

"How about you, Gaav? Are you ready to fight?"

"Of course I'm ready to fight-t …oh, crap." His eyes wandered back across the city, an expression of displeasure on his face. "Actually, I have to go." Gaav walked to the other edge of the wall and balanced confidently on the edge.

"Can't you hold it?" Gourry frowned slightly.

"No, not like that," Gaav snapped, disgruntled. "Val and Phibs are in danger."

Lina stopped for a second and asked quietly, "'Phibs'? As in, 'Hellmaster Phibrizzo'?"

"You know any other 'Phibs'?" Gaav countered impatiently.

"Gaav, the Hellmaster is dead. I killed him." Lina's voice was steady and it held a fatal edge within its serenity.

"You know who I'm talking about, Mari—" Gaav halted, looking as though he'd just bitten into something surprisingly bitter. "I... just screwed him over, didn't I?"

"Do you mean to tell me that the Hellmaster is alive again and has been sitting under my nose for the past few days? And you knew about this, but didn't tell me?" Lina's voice rose half an octave and grew several decibels louder.

"Yeah, so?" Gaav demanded. "I'm not required to tell you anything."

"Fine." Lina's single word sounded like a slap to the face. "You'll answer my questions now though, won't you? From what I deduce, Phibrizzo was reincarnated. Am I right?" Gaav nodded shortly. "Is Phibrizzo Martina's daughter?" A satisfied smile crept up her lips as the Devil Dragon King nodded warily. "Good," Lina smiled evilly. "Go and help Val and Phibrizzo now. I'll deal with this matter in more detail later."

"I don't want to know what you're plotting," Gaav declared.

He turned on the ledge and looked downwards. As soon as he was distracted, Lina jumped across the space and shoved him off of his precarious perch. A string of curses followed the tall man as he plummeted to the ground.

"That was for not telling me about Phibrizzo," Lina cheerfully called the sprawled figure glaring up at her. "Don't worry, Gaav; I won't hold a grudge against you now." She turned around and beamed at the only other person left on the wall. "Shall we go?" She asked the blond with the mildly aghast expression.

Gourry nodded mutely and Lina took his hand.

……………………

"Hey, little girl," a sleazy voice called to Marinnie as she tromped moodily along the abandoned street, listening to her shoes squishing with each step. "Are you lost? Where's your mommy or your daddy?" A filthy man strutted out of an alley with a rusty knife in his hand.

"I think someone is talking to you," Val informed the angry girl.

Marinnie shot a glare at both the Ancient Dragon and the man with the slimy voice.

"Go away, human," she snarled. "I'm not in any mood to deal with your kind."

"Wha?" The man yelped, "Don't take that attitude with me, little girl! I'm not a nice guy, I'm a bandit."

"I don't care what kind of guy you are," Marinnie yelled. "You reek! Even flies can hardly breathe when you speak! You're disgusting and encrusted with dirt, you're so uneducated it must hurt, and you're waving around a useless dirk. Even the rain can't wash off your stench. Why should I care what kind of guy you are?"

"It's odd," Val remarked to himself as Marinnie lambasted the malodorous man. "I didn't think bandits were allowed in Seyruun."

"I've had an annoying day, I'm soaking wet, and having some worthless piece of humanity threatening me makes me even more irritated than before," the Hellmaster continued to rant. "Having you threaten me is the very symbol of how far I've fallen and I hate it! I hate you! If I were you, I'd do the world a favor and kill myself."

"Listen, girlie," The man said, trying to steer the conversation away from his personal hygiene and other sensitive subjects. "If you hand over all of your money to me, then I'll leave you alone. I'm sorry you've had a bad day, but that's just the way things go."

"Do not," Marinnie stated slowly, jabbing a finger at the bandit. "Do not feel sorry for me. I despise pity; too many people are taking pity on me and it makes me sick. I used to have enemies that lusted after any opportunity to kill me, but now they feel sorry for me and they go on nobly sparing my life. It's humiliating! I was powerful and everything was as it should've been. Success was before me, bending down to kiss my feet; all the pieces were in moving conveniently into place and I thought I could finally fulfill my purpose. And then it all fell apart. Now my enemies pity me and the dregs of the human race feels free to threaten me. Why are things supposed to go this way?"

"I got no idea what you're talking about, but if you wanna live then you'd better give me your money, fast," the man blustered. Somewhere in the back of his brain he noticed how odd the child's eyes were, but he was too busy being vaguely insulted to wonder why her pupils were so long and catlike.

"I refuse to bend to your pathetic demands."

"W-well then, then," the startled man cast about desperately for the next logical step. "I have to kill you and take all of your money."

"You couldn't kill me," Phibrizzo replied haughtily.

"Why you!" The man shouted for lack of a better insult to sling at the child. "Just why can't I kill you?"

"Because," Val answered simply for the fuming Marinnie. "You're no one. You're a feeble caricature of what you claim to be. Someone like you couldn't kill someone that's supposed to suffer and survive."

"You kids need manners!" The bandit declared, red-faced with anger. "I'll be happy to give you both a lesson that you'll never forget!" He clumsily aimed his knife at Marinnie's delicate forehead and made a motion as though he would drive the blade through the thin skin and into her skull.

"You couldn't teach either of us a thing. Besides, it's too late for you," Val smirked. "There's that small matter of an incoming concussion." A large fist connected solidly with the back of the bandit's head and he tumbled to the ground. Val smiled angelically, "Hello, Lord Gaav."

"Lo and behold," Gaav said drily, "I have arrived and saved you. Feel free to applaud."

"I didn't need anyone to save me," Marinnie claimed. "Don't act as though you've done me a favor."

"Gee, wow, for some reason I thought you'd be grateful. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing's wrong with me! It's you and the world that isn't acting the way it used to and I'm absolutely sick of 'pity' and 'help'." She spat the words like venom.

"I'm assuming there's something you're not telling me," Gaav stated, giving the shorter Mazoku Lord a befuddled stare. "But if you're so sick of pity, then you should stop acting in a pathetic manner."

"Just how am I being pathetic?" Marinnie demanded furiously. "I may be powerless, but that doesn't mean I'm helpless. I'm not asking for you, or anyone, to 'save' me or anything else."

"For starters, you're whining about being powerless over and over again and pushing away your human parents because you despise them for being human," Gaav pointed out in an off-hand tone. "I think that's pretty pathetic behavior. It's easy to appreciate being alive and it ought to be natural to strive to enjoy your life, but you're too obsessed with what you had before you died to be thankful that the Lord of Nightmares allowed you to live again. You're royally screwed now (sorry 'bout that), so you may as well enjoy the time you have left."

"What do you mean, I'm 'royally screwed now'?" Phibrizzo demanded suspiciously.

"I accidentally told Lina."

Marinnie's jaw dropped in shock and Val chortled at her misfortune.

"Well, come on, there's no point standing around here all day," Gaav declared executively as he began to saunter away.

"Where are we going?" Val asked, running to keep up with the Devil Dragon King's long strides.

"Outside of the city's walls," Gaav answered cheerfully, fingering his sword lovingly. "There's a second attack going on and I'll be damned if I let Lina and her friends handle it all; I'd never hear the end of her gloating."

"If it's just getting rid of the Lesser Demons, then I have a plan," A mischivious smile twisted Marinnie's lips. "If I'm going to die soon, then I may as well make a few plots to entertain myself. Gaav, you're planning to run around and bash a lot of heads in, right?"

Gaav nodded.

"I can't be confident that my plan will work," Phibrizzo cautioned reluctantly, "Since I haven't had enough time to think and work every angle out. But my plan is more efficient than taking them down one by one."

"You've piqued my interest," said Val. "Pray tell, how can your scheme be better than Lord Gaav's plan?"

"Basically, I'm hoping that the Lesser Demons will recognize our place in the Hierarchy and submit to us," Phibrizzo explained. "It's worth a try, but I don't know if it will work because Gaav is a traitor and I'm not in my proper form."

"So, you're suggesting that we shout at them and tell them to obey us because we outrank them?" Gaav inquired skeptically. "That doesn't seem like much of a plan."

"You're saying that because you want to get in a fight."

"Yeah? So? I like to fight."

"You ought to plan ahead some of the time," Phibrizzo stated snottily.

"Why should I? I like living in the pres-" Gaav froze.

A wave of emotion washed over them, as painful and cold as a windswept field frozen over in the dead of an unending winter. It felt like a vacuum, leaching the light and motion and life out of the world. The intangible tsunami seemed to sob as it assaulted them viciously.

The sorrow felt like a pair of frigid hands entwined around Gaav's neck.

The pain felt like a nest of vipers gnawing at Phibrizzo's chest.

The loneliness felt like a heavy weight forcing Val to his knees.

The emotion seemed too vast for a single human soul yet too extreme for a Mazoku or a Dragon.

"I-I've felt this before…" Phibrizzo whispered weakly. "I know this, I've tasted this, I fear this."

The two others looked at Marinnie. Her green eyes were unfocused and her face was pale and drained.

"It's Lina Inverse. Something's happened to Gourry."

……………………

An arrow of light burst forth from Lina's hands and efficiently demolished a Lesser Demon upon contact. Another of the roaring monsters rushed to fill its fallen comrade's place and quickly met an identical fate.

Gourry was busy slicing, dicing, shredding, chopping, and turning all of the demons within reach into evil mincemeat.

They were on a roll.

A Lesser Demon bellowed its intention to attack and leapt towards Lina with a mouthful of fire and a death wish.

"Come and get it," Lina smirked, summoning magic that would turn her shadow into an excellent weapon for ripping and tearing the creature's astral body apart. "Diskang!"

"Demona Crystal!" A woman's voice yelled. Ice instantly encased the charging monster and a shocked Lina allowed her spell to dissipate.

"Whathehell?"

A vision from Lina's past stood proudly on the battlefield, barely clothed in black leather and metal spikes. Their eyes met and Lina felt her jaw tense and her stomach clench. The woman laughed and Lina clasped her hands over her ears to block out the dreadful cackle.

"We meet again, Lina Inverse!" Naga declared; pointing emphatically and making her chest bounce and jiggle in a manner that still irritated Lina. "You should've known that you couldn't elude me, your greatest rival, Naga the White Serpent, forever!" Naga threw her head back and let out a peal of laughter that drowned out the thunder.

"N-N-N-NAGA? What are you doing here?!" Lina demanded. _'Oh no,'_ she moaned internally, _'Everything becomes more annoying once she gets involved.'_

"Humph," Naga huffed arrogantly. "That's hardly any way to treat someone who's gone through as much trouble as I have to find you. I've wandered far and wide, following the swath of destruction you leave in your wake and the rumors that your travels have spawned. You ought to be happy to see me."

"Why?" Lina snarled and Gourry and the surrounding Lesser Demons edged away. "From the sounds of things, you've been stalking me!"

"Stalk…" Naga repeated slowly. "Yes, like celery. I've been stalking you, Lina Inverse."

"Why?"

"Well… I've heard that you've been consorting with Mazoku since we parted ways, Lina, and I became concerned for your welfare and decided that I'd be magnanimous and take you under my wing again. In other words, you can be my sidekick again." Naga tossed her hair over her shoulder with an elegant, practiced flick of her hand.

Lina twitched violently.

"I see that you've adopted a sidekick of your own," Naga observed, strolling up to Gourry and leaning far too far into his personal space. "You can keep him if you must. I can always use an extra minion."

"Leave Gourry alone," Lina ordered deliberately. "He isn't my sidekick."

"What is he then? Your boyfriend? Are you going to get married to him?" Naga chortled at the preposterous thought.

"I'm Lina's protector," Gourry answered honestly.

"Mm, she certainly needs one," Naga muttered as she lost interest in the blond man. "I can see that you haven't changed much, Lina."

"Meaning?"

"You're as violent and destructive as ever if only a handful of the newer rumors are true" Naga began, listing the traits on her fingers. "This attack on my home is probably your fault, so I can conclude that you still attract trouble from all manner of dark places. I, as well as most of the population of Seyruun City, saw that you're still prone to casting the Dragon Slave irresponsibly. Additionally, you're still wearing some variation of that unfashionable outfit." Naga nodded, "Yes, you're the same Lina Inverse I remember; right down to the limited height and the flat chest."

Lina's fists creaked as she held back from pummeling Naga.

"Indeed," Naga mused, raking Lina over with her eyes. "You still lack anything that could even be considered cleavage. Isn't that a shame, Lina? You still look like a little kid, but you're not going to be growing up anymore."

Naga added a particularly amused burst of laughter to her latest comment and Lina snapped.

"DIL BRANDO!"

The rain soaked earth exploded below Naga's feet and sent her shooting up into the air, riding a geyser of mud and dirt. Gourry and a large number of Lesser Demons followed Lina's self-proclaimed rival's path of flight until she crashed face first into the ground and bounced a few feet further.

Even Prince Phil's modeling career would've lasted longer than the time Naga spent twitching on the muddy ground. The overly endowed woman bounced to her feet, looking as dandy as ever, stuck her tongue out at Lina, and dashed off, laughing all the way.

"Does she remind you of Amelia?" Gourry inquired with his favorite clueless expression. "I'm not sure why, but there's definitely something about that lady that reminds me of Amelia and Phil."

Lina blinked.

A horrid image of Amelia dressed in Naga's trademark leather bikini rose unbidden in Lina's mind. She slapped herself before a corresponding image of Prince Phil could form.

"Quite some interesting emotions you're having, Ms. Lina," Xelloss remarked as he floated casually over to a shuddering Lina and a concerned Gourry.

"Oh, hello, Xelloss," Lina returned. "We're going to fight you, right?"

"I'm afraid so," the Trickster replied cheerfully. "I dare say it's regrettable, but you brought this about by ignoring me when I requested that you stay away from Seyruun. I honestly don't want to hurt you or your associates, Ms. Lina; but, by coming here and interfering, you've put me in a bit of a pickle."

"Wait, wait." Gourry straightened up with a jerk and frowned. "Who's getting married?"

Xelloss cocked an eyebrow at Gourry's apparently irrelevant remark and Lina lunged at the swordsman.

"A fiancée is not a pickle! Understand?" Lina yelled directly into Gourry's ear. "Erase that thought! NOW!"

"Fine, fine," Gourry complied with a small laugh. "A fiancée isn't a pickle, I get it."

"Good." Lina released Gourry's ear and turned to the patiently waiting Xelloss. "Sorry about interfering with your plans, Xelloss. But really, you didn't think you could get away with practically announcing your intention to harm Seyruun without us trying to stop you, did you? You're not the type to dole out obvious hints about your intentions, and it's super suspicious when you do. Once we add your weird behavior to threatening Seyruun, well then, it's my duty to interfere."

"What incredible logic you have, Ms. Lina," Xelloss smiled ostensibly. "It's always such a pleasure talking with you."

"Say, Lina?" Gourry tugged at Lina's cloak.

"What?"

"Do you mind if I try fighting Xelloss first?"

"What? Why?" Lina sputtered at the strange request.

"I don't mind," Xelloss put in kindly, albeit a bit puzzled. "You two can take turns fighting with me if you really want to."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine," Gourry added reassuringly. "So can I fight him?"

Lina glanced from the placid Xelloss to the poised Gourry. Both of the men were watching her, waiting for her decision.

"Fine, you two can fight," Lina declared, feeling a little silly for permitting them to fight. "I'll—I'll—" Lina cast about for an activity that wouldn't make her feel like a bicycle's fifth wheel. "I'll just go over there and make myself useful by beating up on some Lesser Demons if you don't mind."

"Have fun, Ms. Lina," Xelloss bid the sorceress.

"Sure thing. Don't you dare kill Gourry," Lina threatened with false friendliness. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll keep myself busy taking out your army." With that she skipped off to vent her mild frustration and confusion by annihilating Mazoku.

"She's always interesting, isn't she?" Xelloss observed thoughtfully.

"Lina is Lina," Gourry responded simply, brushing wet hair out of his eyes. "That's how it's supposed to be."

A brief silence fell between them. The pelting rain slowed to a heavy, constant drizzle and the clouds looked a little lighter.

"Well there's no point in us standing around. Shall we fight?" Xelloss invited civilly.

"Huh? Okay." Gourry casually readjusted his grip on his sword. "Don't underestimate me, Xelloss."

"If you insist," Xelloss replied as he faded from view.

_'Right, if I were Xelloss, where would I attack from?'_ Gourry wondered intensely. _'Xelloss is an old guy, so he probably has a favorite attack pattern. He likes to be sneaky and get things done quickly so he'll start by coming from…' _The sword flew from resting position to above Gourry's head and blocked the whistling downwards swing of Xelloss' staff.

"Not bad," Xelloss stated honestly before slipping back through his hole in the air.

_'He won't repeat that move too soon,'_ Gourry predicted in a small corner of his mind. _'Xelloss doesn't have chivalry, so he'll attack my…'_

The Mazoku Priest's staff creaked as Gourry spun completely around and smashed the side of his sword into it to stop Xelloss' back-attack.

"Very good, Gourry. You really are an excellent swordsman." The shadows swallowed the smiling demon again.

_'He's trying to make things easy for me,'_ Gourry concluded as he countered several strikes from his left side. _'If he was seriously trying to kill me, then his attacks would be faster, he'd attack from below, and he'd use more than just his staff.' _Gourry turned aside another jab from the ruby tipped rod with a swift tap. _'I thought that he'd take it easy on me, but I didn't think he'd be this reluctant.'_ A fresh flurry of stabs wilted easily upon contact with Gourry's blade.

"You're not very enthusiastic," the Trickster Priest pouted as he came into view and sent a token blow at the blond. "Is something wrong?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," Gourry replied. _'You're trying to be predictable.'_

"I'm fine, thank you for wanting to ask," Xelloss said. "It's merely unfortunate that I have to fight you."

"Huh."

"But such is fate," Xelloss presumed quietly. "Things don't always go according to plan; sometimes one's superiors act whimsically and unknowingly fiddle with the calculations." He grinned cheerfully at his opponent and added confidentially, "That, Gourry, is when you improvise."

"I," Gourry replied as he batted Xelloss' staff away from his face, "Don't make calculations in the first place. It's a waste of time when Lina's around."

"True, true," Xelloss agreed with an easily avoided swing to Gourry's shins. "'Lina is Lina', right?"

"That's how it's supposed to be," said Gourry as he ducked below an arc that Xelloss carved into the air. _'He's stalling for time right now. Xelloss is putting something off by fighting me like this.'_

Xelloss disappeared with a sizzle, as though he was burning the border between the real world and the astral plane. Gourry froze tensely; waiting for a sound like tearing paper that would announce the Trickster Priest's return.

_'What can I do that'll stop Xelloss' stalling?'_ Gourry's blue eyes darted around the vicinity. _'He's a Mazoku, but I don't want to hurt him. By being defensive, I'm just wasting time for him. But I don't want to take the offensive if I can help it. What else can I do?'_

Gourry shifted his weight from one foot to the other nervously. It was hard fighting in the rain. It was harder fighting an opponent that could disappear completely. It was even harder fighting against someone that was a nearly ubiquitous presence in normal life.

"Oh," Gourry remarked as an idea hit him like Lina's fist after he commented on the size of her breasts. "I guess that's an option."

Gourry smiled to himself and exhaled slowly. He closed his eyes and let his body relax completely. Rain drizzled down from the dreary sky, but he could feel sunshine on his face as is struggled out of the clouds.

The storm would be over soon.

……………………

Lina looked away from the results of her spell slinging, seeking Gourry.

He stood alone in a patch of pale sunlight with his face upturned slightly. Miniature rainbows sprouted out of rivulets of raindrops on his armor and a fuzzy halo floated ethereally around his damp golden hair. His arms hung loosely at his sides and he grasped the hilt of his sword limply.

Gourry looked peaceful.

Xelloss was nowhere. Xelloss was right in front of Gourry. Xelloss' staff hissed and tunneled a straight path towards Gourry.

_'Gourry will be fine,'_ Lina thought self-assuredly. _'I could easily dodge an attack like that.' _

Gourry didn't flinch.

Gourry didn't move away and the world seemed to move at a fraction of its proper pace. Useless background noises melted away into a quiet hum as everything within Lina focused on the still swordsman.

Time became like taffy. Every second, every fraction of a second, lasted too long while Lina watched in horror.

There was blood.

A beautiful crimson flow burst into the air and splattered onto the ground. It mingled with the fluttering blond hair and a stain blossomed upon his blue tunic like a rose. Lina's shocked brain registered a strange squelching noise, like the sound of pulling something out of sticky mud.

She could hear herself screaming his name as he began to fall. She could feel her legs moving as she scrambled across the soft ground towards him. She could see her hands stretched out before her, as though she would grab time and rewind it until Gourry was standing up again.

"You were supposed to dodge," Xelloss accused meekly. "Why didn't you dodge?"

_'No, no, no,' _Lina thought desperately as she sank to her knees beside Gourry. "Gourry, Gourry, Gourry…"

A dull emptiness roared through her mind as she felt his warm blood on her bare hands.

_'If there's no Gourry, then there's no…' _


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

**Author's Note to the Patient Reader:** …I'm just getting more and more unreliable about updating in a timely manner aren't I? I'm really, dreadfully sorry and I hope that you can forgive me for being so bad. But, in my pathetic defense, I have done some pretty decent Slayers fan art…

I'm sorry.

And I apologize in advance because I will not be able to update for at least three weeks and I do not think I will be near a computer and thereby able to respond to reviews for a few weeks either.

I hope that this chapter is okay, I fear that I was writing as fast as I could because I felt guilty enough already about not posting and three more weeks of delaying would've been miserable for me.

Thank you for continuing to read. Have a good day and a good summer.

……

_suffering._

……

She was everything.

She was nothing.

Her cells were pinpricks in the fabric of existence and the pounding of her heart was the rhythm of the worlds.

Gourry's blood stained her hands and it was Xelloss' fault.

'_If Gourry's gone…'_

She looked up.

For that moment her furious eyes appeared more crimson than the blood that flowed from the fallen swordsman. Slowly she wobbled to her feet, as though she had to think very carefully about the placement of each and every molecule of her being. She glared single-mindedly at Xelloss, directing her anger and sorrow at the Mazoku and the world around her.

She stepped towards Xelloss and the Trickster Priest retreated defensively. All around them the Lesser Demons sighed with agonized ecstasy and ecstatic agony.

"Ms. Lina," Xelloss said with as much diplomacy as he could muster, "Please believe me when I say that it was not my intention to harm Gourry." Strands of darkness floated away from the edges of Xelloss' form as he faced the furious sorceress. Lina stepped forward and Xelloss took that as his cue to disappear into the folds of space.

"Gone…" her voice sounded distant to her own ears. "Gone." She moved her bloody hands before as though she would encompass the world within her palms.

'_If Gourry's gone…'_

And then there was power. A vicious, crackling, surging, streaming, familiar power was gathering inside of her body.

'_Then why is everything else still here?'_

There was a voice. Lina heard the voice's words within her bones and her organs and her memories.

"My child."

The world heard the voice of the Lord of Nightmares and trembled slightly.

"My dear child."

Lina's arms stretched out before her and her mouth formed the shapes for calling upon the One With Dominion Over All Terrible Dreams.

Wind harassed the straggling clouds out of the sky and greeted the late day sun in the east and the early moon rising from the west. From the smallest pebble to the gigantic boulders, the rocks hummed and buzzed, as though communicating catastrophic events to kin scattered around the world. A ring of vapor rose around Lina's feet as the rainwater evaporated and left the circle of ground parched and dead.

'_Why is everything else still here without Gourry?'_

"My child," the voice of the Golden Lord poured into her veins like honey and dripped through her brain. "Do not cry. I am, Lina, and you are. The world is, the world will have been. Be at peace, sweet child. You need not cry."

A name best left alone tumbled from Lina's lips and she felt the essence of the universe sliding into her. She was tranquil as a pledge began to form from her words. Light darker than the darkest night and darkness brighter than the noonday sun curled around her like the arms of a mother around a sleeping child.

"It seems like a shame," the Lord of Nightmares mused with Lina's lips and voice. "Do you really want to give all of this away?"

She opened her mouth to call for destruction.

A firm hand latched onto her wrist and arrested her action. Lina turned and looked down at the mud and blood covered man holding on to her. Wreathed in chaos, she stared at him as though he were a stranger for a second, two seconds, three seconds.

"Lina." He spoke her name as though it was the last thing he would relinquish. "Lina... Please, don't go away again."

"Gourry…?" The mind of the Lord of Nightmares quietly settled down and Lina gazed at the swordsman.

"Even I can remember that spell, Lina, even I can remember what happened last time. Don't go away, stay here with me. Please, Lina, don't disappear," Gourry pleaded desperately. "And whatever you do, don't destroy the world; not for me. Lina, please, Lina…"

"Gourry…" she spoke his name with a sort of melancholy nostalgia, like an autumn breeze blowing over dried leafs and heralding winter's imminent arrival.

Then she blinked and gaped with borderline stupidity at the blond man grasping her hand. She inhaled sharply, as though the realization that the swordsman was still alive had driven all of the breath from her body.

"Gourry!" Lina shouted as his hand slipped from her own.

"I'm fine," Gourry fibbed weakly. "I don't think Xelloss hit any of my vitals."

"Forget your vitals," Lina snapped, "You're not fine. You're bleeding all over the place. No," she reprimanded as Gourry tried to push himself up, "Don't you dare move. I'm going to try to heal you."

Gourry frowned as Lina's hands forced him gently to the ground again. She closed her eyes and began to focus on calling upon the energies of white magic.

"Um, Lina?"

"What is it?" _'Please don't ask why I nearly destroyed the world for you, that'd be so cliché…'_

"I know that you don't know Resurrection," Gourry informed her bluntly. "You said it wasn't cool enough for you to learn. Same with the 'Raw Kilt' thing."

Lina twitched and the healing light in her hands flickered in response.

"I know that," the sorceress replied edgily. "That's why I'm using a Recovery spell. Now stay still, I'm not a very good healer." As testament to her statement, a drop of sweat slid down her cheek, following the trail her tears had left a few moments prior.

Half a minute passed in silence. They were too far away to hear the voices of people leaving the city and the Lesser Demons had disintegrated from the battlefield around them. The only noise came from Gourry's ragged breathing and the high pitched buzz of the spell in Lina's hands.

'_I think the wound is a few millimeters smaller,'_ Lina thought with as much false optimism as she could mentally muster. _'Every millimeter counts for something.' _A drop of stinging, salty sweat slipped into her left eye and she cursed quietly at the irritation. _'Now I regret thinking that white magic was a waste of time. What if I can't save him?'_

"Lina," Gourry's voice was stronger than before as he called to her. "Don't worry so much, okay? I've known guys who've had worse than this."

"Oh?" Lina replied through gritted teeth. _'I wish I knew how he can be so laid back, I'm glad that at least one of us is taking this well.'_

"Yeah," Gourry smiled up, encouraged by Lina's response. "I knew this one guy who walked around for eight hours with a javelin stuck through his head the entire time."

"And then what happened to him?" Lina asked, trying to use Gourry's voice to block out the strain of channeling white magic for an extended period of time.

"Oh, um, he died."

"Figures," Lina groaned.

"Well…" Gourry pondered, "At least I don't have a javelin stuck through my head. Try looking on the bright side of things."

"But I don't think I can heal you," Lina admitted with an edge of bitterness. "It's pathetic. I can't stand the thought seeing you die while I sit by helplessly."

"If you want Gourry dear to survive, then please step aside," a soft voice said from behind Lina, startling the sorceress and causing her to turn around. "I can heal him for you, Ms. Lina."

"Thank you," Lina sighed gratefully as the other woman knelt beside her. "Thank you, Sylphiel."

……………………

"Mr. Zelgadis," Amelia said quietly. The clamor from her citizens nearly drowned her out; only the chimera beside her could hear her voice. Fortunately, he was the only one who needed to hear her voice.

"What is it?"

"Look." His eyes followed the path her finger indicated and swept across the surroundings.

The flow of fleeing people had begun to grow thinner, but that wasn't what had attracted Amelia's attention.

"Are you looking at the Lesser Demons?" Zelgadis asked, unsure of why Amelia was pointing at the horned, hirsute monsters.

Filia was plowing through the rigid creatures with her mace swinging and Milgasia was directing the traffic of evacuees away from the younger Golden Dragon's rampage without losing his composure.

"They aren't doing anything, Amelia."

"It looks like they're praying."

The creatures stared upwards at some distant point, transfixed by something that only they could perceive. Their statuesque bodies offered neither a threat to the humans pushing past them nor resistance to the dragon maiden demolishing them.

As Amelia and Zelgadis watched, one pair of red eyes closed after another. A single, glorious, exultant sigh escaped from the army of beasts and nothing more. The monstrous forms fell to the ground elegantly, blissfully, eternally.

Zelgadis looked around, ascertaining that all of the Mazoku were inexplicably dying around Seyruun.

"They're gone," Filia announced confidently, returning her mace to her garter. "I can't sense them at all."

"How odd…" Amelia remarked cautiously. "I hope they aren't coming back again."

"Why did they die?" Zelgadis asked, although he knew better than to expect an answer to miraculously present itself. Life was never that easy.

"I don't know," Filia replied, "If I had to guess, I'd assume that Ms. Lina had some role."

"I'm sure Ms. Lina and Mr. Gourry are alright." Despite the optimistic prediction, Amelia's voice betrayed the depth of her worry.

"We may as well find Lina and Gourry," Zelgadis proposed. "There's no reason for us stay here if the Mazoku are gone."

"You three go on," Milgasia instructed calmly, "I'll stay and help the people to their destination. I might not show it as much as the former Supreme Elder of the Fire Dragon King's temple, but I'm an old man. All of the running back and forth is a bit too much me."

"Thank you, Mr. Milgasia," Amelia smiled gratefully. "Come on, Ms. Filia, Mr. Zelgadis. Let's find Ms. Lina and Mr. Gourry."

Milgasia waved, with a slight wince as his elbow creaked, as Filia ran past him along with Amelia and Zelgadis. The elder dragon sighed and turned to watch the people walking resignedly away from their homes even as they prayed to return soon.

Two people stepped out of the crowd and rushed after Amelia. Milgasia looked over briefly, recognized the King and Queen of Xoana, and returned his attention to the refugees.

……………………

Soft white light enveloped Gourry as Sylphiel concentrated on closing the wound on his stomach. Lina watched Sylphiel's profile and Gourry's relaxed face and wondered over the twinge of envy that she felt.

'_It isn't how pretty she is,'_ Lina thought analytically, _'I'm mature enough to deal with the body I'm stuck with. It isn't that I know she loves Gourry; I've known that since we first met and that's never been a huge problem. I think, I think I'm envious of how reliable she is.'_

After a few minutes of silence, Sylphiel spoke.

"There, you should be okay now, Gourry dear," the shrine maiden said with a small smile for the swordsman. "Although you shouldn't try to exert yourself too much, you did lose a lot of blood before I got here. Make sure to eat something with a lot of iron, drink enough water, and get some rest."

"Thanks, Sylphiel," Gourry grinned, "You're really good at patching people up. Have you gotten faster at the healing thing since we met?"

"Oh, no, not really," Sylphiel admitted modestly. "Ms. Lina had already cast a Recovery spell, so you were healing several times faster than normal. I just directed the healing to where it was needed the most and sped the process up a bit more."

"Thank you," Lina smiled, "So, Gourry's going to be okay now?"

Sylphiel nodded, "After a good meal and some rest, he'll be as good as new."

"But he's okay now, right?" Lina persisted.

"Um, yes," the shrine maiden affirmed uneasily, the glint in Lina's eyes was rather unnerving. "Why do you ask, Ms. Lina?"

"Because," Lina stated in a deadpan voice, "I'm going to kill him now."

"Why?!" Gourry yelped in synchrony with Sylphiel.

"You were acting like a martyr," Lina explained angrily, with a wide wave of her arms. "And I've said loads of times that I can't stand martyrs!"

"I was not!" Gourry protested as the diminutive red head closed in on him.

"You. Were. Too!" Lina countered, glaring up from Gourry's chest to his nervous face. "You just stopped fighting; you stood still and let Xelloss impale you. You," she jabbed a finger at him to emphasis her displeasure, "You were fighting to lose. What have I told you about fighting to lose?"

"I'm sorry," Gourry mumbled to the sorceress standing a few centimeters away from him, "But I had to stop fighting, it was the best option available."

"For what?" Lina demanded, trying to keep herself from screaming. "Dying? Let me tell you again, Gourry: dying willingly isn't noble or heroic, it's just plain stupid!"

"I wasn't trying to die," Gourry denied Lina's accusation quickly. "Not fighting was the best option for protecting you, Lina."

"Protecting me?" Lina echoed, mildly bemused rather than irritated. "That sounds nice, but 'dying to protect someone' is still stupid. What about the people you leave behind? How do you think I'd feel if you died?" _'The world could be destroyed and I wouldn't care.'_

"I swore I'd protect you for the rest of my life, Lina," Gourry replied with chivalrous stubbornness, "And I intend to take that promise seriously."

"Forget it!" Lina snapped. "I don't want you to protect me for the rest of your life; I want you to protect me for the rest of MY life! I'll die first so you won't leave me all alone!" _'Crap, did I just say that out loud…?'_

Lina sent a worried, guilty glance at Sylphiel. The shrine maiden did not meet the sorceress' eyes.

"So… uh…" Lina stammered, desperately trying to figure a way out of her last comment.

"Gourry de-," Sylphiel started. "Sir Gourry," she corrected herself quickly with a small shake of her head. "Are you going to propose to Ms. Lina soon?"

"No." Gourry answered simply. "I'm scared of what she'd do to me if I did propose. This is Lina we're talking about."

"Hey!" Lina yelled indignantly, all awkwardness pushed aside in a moment of anger. "What do you mean by that?" Instinctively, fire sprouted from her open palms and hovered there eagerly.

"I think you know what I mean!" Gourry countered before instinctively sprinting away.

"Ms. Lina," Sylphiel murmured, diverting Lina's attention from lighting Gourry's posterior on fire for being rude. "If Sir Gourry doesn't propose to you soon, then would you please propose to him? I know it's unusual, but unconventional is right up there on the list of adjectives that I'd use to describe you."

"But, Sylphiel… you, well, you…"

"I know, I love Sir Gourry," Sylphiel completed the thought for the reluctant red head. "But he loves you and you love him. It would be best if you two were married to one another."

"It wouldn't be best for you," Lina pointed out uneasily.

"You're wrong Ms. Lina, if you and Sir Gourry were married then I would finally be free," Sylphiel replied quietly, averting her eyes from Lina. "You see, I'm also a very selfish woman. As long as there's a possibility that he could love me and me alone as a woman rather than an old friend, well, I, I cannot muster the will to let go of a crush that I've nurtured since childhood." Sylphiel sounded as though she were ashamed of the fact. "A part of me knows that it's hopeless and unrealistic, but another part of me is too scared to live without clinging to the hope of receiving love from my ideal of Sir Gourry." Sylphiel wiped a tear away hastily. "Sometimes I feel that I've nurtured my affection for him for so long that I've forgotten what I loved about the real person in the first place… and…" the shrine maiden trailed off for a moment, her shoulders shaking and a hand hiding her face from the world. "…and that thought alone is so excruciatingly painful. So, please, Ms. Lina, I'd like you to do what's best for all of us." _'I'm so tired of suffering.'_

"I'm sorry."

"N-no, I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have complained so much to you."

"It's okay Sylphiel," Lina replied, laying a hand across the taller woman's shoulders in an awkward, partial hug. "You're my friend and I hope I'm still your friend. Never forget that, okay?"

"I won't forget if you don't forget," Sylphiel smiled weakly. "Thank you. Now, Ms. Lina," her tone took a businesslike edge, "There are more important things than a tangled romance that we need to discuss. Shall we return to Seyruun?"

"Oh, great. Something dramatic is going to happen. Again."

"Is that a premonition, Ms. Lina?"

"Nope," said Lina casually as she hurried to keep pace with Sylphiel as they walked towards the white walls of the city. "It's my woman's intuition."

……………………

Edgar Crow trudged uphill towards the gleaming city of Seyruun upon the horizon. From a distance the holy city looked like a single pearl carelessly dropped among emeralds. Yes, Edgar was convinced that Seyruun was a precious jewel that had grown by constantly irritating the lower classes.

The destruction of Seyruun would make him a hero; that much was obvious to the man slouching along toward the city of light. After all, if he succeeded then who would dare to contradict him? If anyone dared to, he'd show them how hard life was as a peasant, if he was feeling benevolent.

Edgar groaned slightly as he shuffled onward. He clutched his precious knife to him, focusing on its rickety splinter-ridden handle biting into his palm to exclude the world. His meticulously sewn Zanaffar knock-off tugged viciously away from him in several directions, as though it would rip them both to pieces as it fled to and from Seyruun city.

"I made you, so you belong to me," Edgar's voice grated impatiently to the hazy mass of waving hands and crying mouths bound like a tourniquet to his swollen arm. "You are nothing now without me, you were worthless before me. Serve me."

The mists of his makeshift Zanaffar swirled into a caricature of a woman that clutched her transparent hands to her pale breast and formed sighing pleas for freedom with a voice like a wounded animal crawling slowly to sanctuary.

"Shut up, shut up," Edgar snarled like an angry drunk to the begging face of the false female. _'Why do you insist on resisting me? Why do you refuse to know your place?'_

The bluish creature responded by twisting and folding over itself until it resembled a wolfish head attached to a snakelike neck. The beast snarled back at Edgar; with gleaming, translucent teeth dripping with spiritual saliva and several glowing red eyes reminiscent of a pool of blood.

"You are nothing without me," Edgar repeated the mantra dully, pointing his knife at Seyruun's distant, white bosom.

The creature screeched as it flew into the hilt of the dagger like Lego man sucked into the unknown confines of a vacuum. The ruby stained aura slid out of the dingy blade with a crackling laugh, fueled by the power and hatred of Edgar's construct.

"This will be enough to destroy Seyruun and negate the power of her wall," the man mumbled with a voice that was hardly coherent to his own ears. "I am the one chosen to destroy Seyruun," he added, as though repeating the affirmation would convince the deaf world.

The knife of the Demon Lord chuckled.

……………………

Gourry had met them at the gate to Seyruun and the trio of the sorceress, the swordsman, and the shrine maiden had proceeded through the empty streets of Seyruun to the royal palace positioned in the center of the city.

Lina heard their footsteps clicking over the smooth white stone; even the void-like expanse of the Seyruun palace courtyard could not fully smoother the sound. She couldn't suppress a small shudder; the last time she could remember the courtyard being so empty was when everyone had thought that Prince Phil was dead.

Sylphiel halted suddenly a few meters into the open space and Lina gracefully walked into the taller woman's back a fraction of a second before Gourry's breastplate pushed into her own back.

"Ugh," Lina grunted, "Human sandwich." _'Actually, a sandwich would be really good right now...'_

"See, I told you that they'd come here if Lina didn't destroy the world," a young boy's voice said smugly as Lina peeled her spine off of Gourry's breastplate.

"Shut up, I never said she wouldn't come here. I just said that I shouldn't come here," Marinnie replied irritably.

Lina cast around for the bickering children and her eyes zeroed in on the young princess of Xoana. The child, sensing Lina's glare, skittered behind the Devil Dragon King as though she hoped that Lina would go through the taller Mazoku Lord first. A terrified squeak from the reincarnated Hellmaster rewarded Lina when she took a menacing step towards the trio. Gourry's hand halted her before she could continue to torment Phibrizzo.

"Don't move Lina," Gourry ordered as he untangled her hair from a pivot in his armor.

"Fine," Lina muttered, relaxing as the swordsman's fingers wound deftly through her hair. _'You're safe for now, Phibrizzo. But I will make you pay for what you put me through.'_

"Hey, Gourry." Gaav greeted casually while pushing Marinnie away from his coat with one foot. "Are you still alive?"

"Yup, I don't think I'd be this hungry if I had died," Gourry rationalized easily. "Lina and Sylphiel saved me."

"How'd you almost die?" Val asked eagerly with the morbid curiosity of a child.

"That's really something that you shouldn't be concerned with," Sylphiel interrupted with the patience of a kindergarten teacher. "It isn't good to ask about death or loss, instead you should cherish what you still have and endure the reality of loss."

Val looked at the shrine maiden as though she'd grown three heads and was reciting the instructions for the Macarena in a foreign language. The Ancient Dragon opened his mouth in preparation to retort to Sylphiel's advice before a frown crawled across his face as he examined the resolute woman more carefully. Quietly, he closed his mouth and feigned indifference.

"What are you doing here?" Lina asked Gaav bluntly.

"Waiting to see if you were going to return the world to the Sea of Chaos or not," Gaav answered with equal frankness. "We figured you show up here if Gourry lived and we'd all be dead if he died."

"Why here?"

"It's in the middle of a ghost city. Isn't that the logical place to end up before saving the world or whatever you like to do?"

"I don't like saving the world," Lina corrected. "Crazy villains with ambitions to destroy or conquer the world target me and I just win my battles."

"Hey! I tried to conquer the world…"

"So, the middle of the city seemed like a good place to go," Lina continued over the towering redhead's protest. "It does make sense, considering previous experiences. Sylphiel, do you mind waiting for Amelia and Zel? They're bound to show up soo-"

"Ms. Lina!" Amelia's voice echoed eerily from the far side of the abandoned square. The small figure of the princess waved as two other white clad figures, Zelgadis and Filia, caught up with her.

"Right on time," Lina smirked. "Isn't it funny how things work out so conveniently when life is out to get me most of the time?" No one in the immediate vicinity attempted to respond to the last comment.

"Ms. Lina!" Amelia called again as she sprinted from one end of the uncluttered courtyard to the other. "The Mazoku have disappeared again. I think they might've died."

"You did something, didn't you?" Zelgadis accused perceptively.

"Me? Do something?" Lina smiled cutely.

"Aside from almost destroying the world," Marinnie inserted the quiet addition with a small snigger.

Lina rounded on the child and closed the distance between them faster than the Hellmaster could escape.

"Did you say something, Phibrizzo?" The sorceress asked sweetly.

"Ph-Phibrizzo? Hellmaster Phibrizzo?!" Amelia and Zelgadis stammered loudly in shocked synchrony.

"I wish I could have a picture of that expression." Lina remarked bemusedly, trying to recall the last time she had seen Zelgadis' mouth hanging open. "I'd keep it to laugh at it when you're old and then I'd eventually give it to your kids."

"Ms. Lina, you can deal with Phibrizzo later." Sylphiel reprimanded, although her eyes were staring coldly at the girl from Xoana. "Now that we're all here, may I please tell you what I've come here for?"

"Oh, sure."

Thus Sylphiel began to recall finding Flagoon's seed, the vision she'd had a few days after that, and her search for Lina.

……………

"Phibrizzo? Did Lina just call Marinnie Hellmaster Phibrizzo?" Martina asked numbly as she slumped against her husband.

Zangulas nodded mutely and wrapped his arms around his wife's shaking frame.

He was worried; Martina wasn't as healthy as she once was, becoming a mother was difficult for her. Despite that, they'd spent half an hour dashing through Seyruun's winding, confusing, foreign streets trying to catch up with Amelia, Zelgadis, and Filia. When they'd finally found Lina, she was acting as though their daughter was a Mazoku Lord.

It didn't make sense.

"I-I don't understand." Martina declared flatly. "This has to be some sort of joke."

"Of course," Zangulas agreed readily. "Lina could be wrong. Lina probably is wrong."

"What if she isn't wrong?"

Zangulas frowned and squeezed his wife closer to his body. Why in the world did she choose to persist in asking questions that could only lead to sorrow?

"What if our daughter is a Mazoku? What if she wanted us dead and the world returned to a void of nothingness? Do you know what it would mean if Marinnie was Phibrizzo, as Lina claims?"

"Marinnie never said that Lina was right." Zangulas pointed out over Martina's hysterics.

"If Marinnie is the Hellmaster," Martina faltered tearfully, as though she hadn't heard her husband. "It means that I tried to kill my baby. I even asked Lina to destroy her."

"Don't be silly." Zangulas ordered firmly. "Phibrizzo was destroyed. Marinnie is Marinnie. She might be an odd child, but she's our child."

"She could be Phibrizzo," Martina whispered miserably. "No one really knows what happens to a powerful Mazoku after they die. None of Shabranigdo's five servants ever really died before Lina Inverse was around."

"Listen to me." Zangulas said, "We didn't need to come here. We didn't need to hear Lina calling our child a demon. We don't need acknowledge that we ever were here or ever heard Lina talking. We can turn around now and find our way out of the city and pretend that we never followed Amelia."

"That would be cowardly," Martina replied despondently, "And impossible. Now that I've heard the painful truth, now that I've had my image of my child smashed to pieces before me, how can I make myself love her? How can I shower love upon my child when I know that she will never love me?"

"Marinnie is still Marinnie, even if we stayed here that fact wouldn't change. She might be someone else as well, but she's still the Princess of Xoana," Zangulas insisted stubbornly. "So what if she's also the Hellmaster? She hasn't killed anyone yet. Doesn't she deserve a second chance? We're her parents; it's our job to love her so much that we'd brave the fires of Hell to save her. We're her parents; it's our duty to give her a second chance over and over again."

Martina hiccupped in response and Zangulas allowed a tiny smile to alight on his face.

"Come on, sweetie," he invited. "We aren't needed here right now. Let's go. I've heard that Seyruun has the best soft-serve ice cream in the world."

"Zangulas," Martina whispered, clutching his sturdy arm.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

……………

"So some guy made something like Zanaffar and you think that he's in charge of the Mazoku attack on Seyruun. You have Flagoon's seed which you think we will, or rather, I will use to stop the guy with the Zanaffar thing. Right?" Lina reiterated after Sylphiel finished detailing her vision.

"Correct," the shrine maiden affirmed. "I believe that you, Ms. Lina, can engage the man in battle and then use the seed to drain the evil miasma from him."

"I'm game for this," Gourry remarked cheerfully.

"It sounds like a good plan," Amelia added, watching Lina.

"Sylphiel," Zelgadis interrupted, "When you say that Lina will use Flagoon's seed to drain the Zanaffar's miasma from the man's body, don't you mean that Lina will end up planting the second Flagoon?"

"Yes."

"When the second Flagoon is planted, won't it kill Zanaffar's host as well?"

"I don't know. I hope not."

"It's his bad luck if we kill him," Lina smirked. "If he's in charge of the attack on Seyruun then he should be aware of the consequences of messing with me or my friends."

"You shouldn't try to kill anyone," Sylphiel reprimanded gently. "Although… well, I feel as though he might already be dead in a way."

"So we're fighting a zombie?" Gourry asked nervously. "Gross."

"No, he's not dead in the real meaning of the word," Sylphiel corrected, looking directly at Lina's feet rather than the swordsman beside her. "At least, I don't think so. But something must be wrong with him if he'd make a creature like Zanaffar and lead the Mazoku in an attack against Seyruun."

Amelia raised her hand into the air tentatively and spoke, "Ms. Sylphiel, Flagoon is the symbol of Sairaag. You once said that it supported the hearts of Sairaag's people. But if Ms. Lina were to use the seed here then Flagoon would be in Seyruun rather than Sairaag. Is that what you want?" Amelia asked quietly.

Sylphiel smiled warmly at the princess. "Ms. Amelia, if this tree can help save Seyruun then I will be happy. This seed is Flagoon's gift to the world, not Flagoon. After all, the Holy Tree of Sairaag died several years ago."

A brief silence fell following the shrine maiden's statement and Phibrizzo shifted uncomfortably under the unblinking eyes of the others.

"Well, it sounds like we're all okay with this," Lina declared brightly after a moment of intense staring. "Will you give me the seed, Sylphiel?"

Sylphiel nodded and pulled an engraved silver locket on a delicate chain out and over her head. Wordlessly she opened the locket and held her palms out to Lina Inverse.

For a minute Lina hesitated, staring at the locket as though it was an open oyster with a pearl nestled within its embrace. Her hand moved slowly towards the seed like a child reaching for a glowing ember.

Lina's hands were too slow.

A pair of disembodied hands gloved in pale blue silk materialized by Sylphiel's neck and reached over her to snatch the precious seed from the safety of her locket. Lina heard someone curse violently; perhaps it was she, as Xelloss' body hopped a few feet away from them and congealed.

"Hello again, my friends," Xelloss grinned with a sweeping, mocking bow. "How nice to see all of you here."

The Trickster Priest ignored the various angry shouts of his name and turned to Gourry who was watching the events unfold with a befuddled look on his face and deadly concentration in his eyes.

"I see that you're okay now Gourry."

"Yeah, Lina and Sylphiel patched me up."

"That's good." The remark almost sounded sincere. "I didn't want you to die yet."

"Mr. Xelloss!" Amelia proclaimed loudly with a trademark jab. "I must demand that you return Flagoon's seed to Ms. Lina this instant!"

"Why?" The Trickster Priest looked kittenish as he countered Amelia's demand with a word.

"Because, as I'm sure you overheard, we need that seed to save Seyruun," Lina explained with false patience. "And if you give me that seed now then I promise I won't hurt you too much later."

"Ms. Lina," Xelloss chided playfully, "You need to work on your diplomacy skills."

"Zip it."

"Mr. Xelloss, were we not comrades once?" Amelia pleaded. "Can you not understand how much we need to protect this city?"

"Ms. Amelia, whether we were comrades or not does not matter to me," Xelloss said with a slightly raised eyebrow. "I'm a Mazoku. I was created for the sole purpose of serving my creator's whims. If Lord Beastmaster wants me to fight you then I shall fight you. If Lord Beastmaster wants to loan me to someone who wants me to fight you, well, I shall fight you. The mode of existence for a Mazoku is probably as alien to you as the conscience of humans is to me." His smile was the epitome of patronizing sympathy. "Unfortunately Ms. Amelia, I don't care, or perhaps I don't know, if you and I were once comrades."

"Return the seed." Filia's voice was level as she brandished her beloved mace.

"Threatening me?" Xelloss questioned, turning away from Seyruun's princess. "Really Filia, is that wise? Aren't you supposed to be afraid of me?"

"I'm not afraid of you, Xelloss. I know you well enough now to know when I need to be afraid."

Xelloss shook his head wordlessly at her bold statement.

"Give me the seed, Xelloss." Lina tried again, edging her voice with steel and malice. "I've had enough of your games for today."

"What good would it do you, Ms. Lina? A seed isn't a weapon. How can I believe that you, of all people, are foolish enough to rely on something so small, so fragile," he held the seed up and his fingers twitched, "Something so weak that I could crush it between my thumb and forefinger with minimal effort? It isn't you, Ms. Lina. Planting a seed is such a feeble, flimsy plan, it lacks the flash and bang and grandeur that I expect, I crave, from you. Don't tell me that you're getting old." The last comment was scornful and worried.

"I'm not getting- well, maybe." Lina's snappy reply wavered. "So what if I'm getting older? Maybe it's about time that I start growing up. I can't always save the world with explosions and mystical weapons. Sometimes strategy is more important than spells." _'Wow, I just said that.' _"Give me the seed and I won't kill you."

"You need better plans," Xelloss' soft murmur hardly reached her ears.

The Lesser Beast vanished from sight with the sizzle of a water drop in a hot pan. A nervous hush immediately encased the entirety of the immense courtyard as Lina and her companions cast around in anxious, dreadful hopes of catching the Trickster's reappearance.

"Boo." Xelloss' creepy whisper tickled Gaav's ear as he leapt grasshopper-like from the towering red-head's lengthening shadow.

He held the tiny seed in his right hand between two fingers, two fingers aiming to dig viciously into the Devil Dragon King's startled face.

"Move, Gaav, move!" The authoritarian yell ripped from Marinnie's small frame as black goo, like the innards of a demented lava lamp, dragged Gaav off balance and batted Xelloss away.

"Lord Hellmaster?" Xelloss' voice was unsure and confused as he stood up. "Why, what a surprise. I do hope you weren't intending to help Ms. Lina regain Flagoon's seed."

"Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't." Phibrizzo replied as the inky goo melted away from the real world. "What's it to you?"

"We--ll, if you were trying to help Ms. Lina," Xelloss began slowly, as though drawing the passing time out to heighten anticipation, "You failed most miserably."

He opened his palms and held them out to the world to see.

"Yes, you failed most miserably indeed."

Both hands were empty.

……………………

"I quit." Zelas declared stubbornly.

"No. That isn't allowed. You have to ask for a card." Dolphin replied as stubbornly.

"It's pointless," Zelas snapped. "You'll win this time no matter what."

"Not necessarily. Ask and you might receive."

"Fine." Zelas inspected her remaining options carefully. "Do you have a king?"

"Nope! Go Fish!" Dolphin smiled blissfully.

"You see?" Zelas asked her sister as she drew a card from the pile. "There's no point in playing against you if fish are related in any way shape or form."

"That statement seems a little fishy to me." Dolphin countered seriously. "Little fishy?" she offered as she held the bag of Swedish Fish out to Zelas.

"No thanks, got any fours?"

"Ha!" Dolphin yelled, "I activate my spell card! That wipes out the rest of your life points, Beastmaster."

A shudder shook Zelas' frame and her cards fluttered from her slack grip.

"No."

"Oh come on, Zelas! It's just a game," Dolphin whined. "I was just kidding. You can have your life points back if you want."

"NO!" Zelas shrieked, swirling to her feet in a tornado of tan skin and pale cloth.

Dolphin looked up, startled at the ferocity of Zelas' scream.

"No, no, no, no, no!" For a moment, as she lunged forward, Zelas looked like an exotic cross between a feral wolf and a desperate woman.

Dolphin moved clumsily and tackled her sister and wrapped her arms around the Beastmaster's middle as Zelas began to run. For a moment the two demons wrestled in a flurry of clawed hands and flowing hair. Zelas struggled wildly in Dolphin's crushing embrace, her hands reaching towards distant shores as she screamed words of hateful denial.

"Dynast!" Dolphin cried as Zelas clawed the air and kicked her captor in the stomach. "Dynast! Do something!"

The King of Shivers appeared as softly as a midnight snowfall upon Dolphin's terrified summoning. Grausherra raised a hand silently and ice sprouted from Zelas' feet and climbed up her body until she ceased her thrashing, half-encased in ice.

"What is the meaning of this?" Grausherra asked frigidly. His blue-icicle eyes surveyed the scattered cards emotionlessly and returned to the Beastmaster's frozen form. "Did a game get out of control?"

A tearless sob wracked the woman trapped in ice.

"It wasn't my fault," Dolphin stated virtuously. "This game was going along just fine."

"A different game perhaps?" Dynast prompted, trying to sound as sympathetic as he could.

"It was just a game, just a game," Zelas agreed mournfully. "I was bored. He was weak. But I thought he'd entertain me. So I lent him Xelloss. Oh," Zelas gasped as the name fell from her cold lips. "Xelloss, Xelloss, Xelloss…"

……………………

"Dear me," Xelloss smiled pleasantly. "Isn't that a pity?"

"You tried to kill me!" Gaav snapped, brushing dirt off of his coat.

"Well, you would've been okay," Xelloss replied comfortingly. "You're tied to a human soul, remember? You would've been reborn eventually."

"Flagoon…" Sylphiel gasped, her throat painfully dry from shock. "Where is Flagoon's seed?"

"Ah, that would be the trouble, wouldn't it?" Xelloss mused with a wave of his open palms.

"You destroyed it?" Lina shouted incredulously, furiously.

"It's your fault for relying on something so fragile," Xelloss said. "You shouldn't get attached to things that shatter so easily."

"No…" Sylphiel collapsed to her knees as tears rolled down her face. "No. Not Flagoon as well."

"Yes, I'm afraid you've lost that too." Xelloss smiled cruelly, reveling in the shrine maiden's loss.

"Flagoon," Sylphiel wept. "FLAGOON!" Her soulful scream echoed through the courtyard and reverberated through the empty streets.

Xelloss' right arm twitched in response and his smile evaporated into confusion and concern.

"Xelloss," Lina spoke his name like a curse as she moved to stand between the sobbing shrine maiden and the Trickster Priest. Her tone alone conveyed all the deadly threats she wanted make.

Xelloss ignored the sorceress and stared with growing horror and his hand.

"Flagoon…" Sylphiel repeated, as though the predecessor's name would call the seed back.

And Xelloss' hand erupted in fresh foliage. Twigs and leaves shot out of the startled Mazoku's right hand and stretched for the sunlight that was slowly fading from the sky over Seyruun. Xelloss screamed as roiling mass of roots, like a pit of vipers, ripped out of his back, followed by an expanding trunk that quickly threatened to consume the beleaguered Trickster's form.

Lina could hear the bark splintering as Flagoon's heir slurped up Xelloss' darkness and grew too fast for its own good. Lina could hear Xelloss' anguished yell as his body was pierced from within and his essence drained greedily.

"Xelloss!" Filia yelled amist the confusion, reaching a hand out toward the convulsing bodyencased in a layer of wood and sinking into the rapidly growing tree.

He stopped struggling. He stared with open, glittering, dark-fire eyes at the dragon maiden for a few seconds; stared at her reaching hand and at her face. And then he shook his head.

A smile spread across Xelloss' face, nothing genuine, just his cheery, every-day mask that had irritated Lina and her company countless times.

"I guess this means you don't get to kill me, Ms. Lina."

And, with a chuckle, even his face finally disappeared into the confines of the tree.

……………………

To Be Continued. I promise.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference now or in the future.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

…

…I said I would continue…

……

_The Faceless Man._

……

The tree stood majestic. Triumphant.

Its wild tangle of roots cracked the marble covering the courtyard in search of moist, natural soil. The knotted brown bark looked as alien beside the white buildings as a parrot would look among penguins. Fairy souls floated silently towards and from within the tree to hang between layers of verdant foliage like mobile holiday decorations. The last rays of the long summer afternoon and the first light of a balmy evening tumbled through the leaves and cast dappled shadows upon the faces of the people below.

Amelia's eyes could not focus as she tried to absorb the occurrences of the last handful of minutes. She could see the courtyard as she had known it since infancy, as though the tree before her did not truly exist.

Zelgadis felt ill. The roots ripping out of Xelloss' body and the wooden, foreign imprint of face where Xelloss had been mere heartbeats ago felt oddly familiar. As different as one event was from the other, Zelgadis could not steer his thoughts away from Rezo's consumption.

With trembling legs Sylphiel, with unshed tears gathering in her eyes, stumbled a few steps forward and placed her hands upon the tree. Methodically, she traced the fingerprint-like ridges and whorls of the bark with a finger guided more by memory than conscious thought. Here was Flagoon. It was as though the Holy Tree of Sairaag had merely relocated itself in miniature.

Shock had wiped all other expressions off of Gaav's face as his eyes traveled from the place where Xelloss' smile had disappeared up towards the gleaming canopy rustling like silken pajamas far above him. He hated feeling so utterly baffled and helpless.

Filia felt her legs shaking and she sank down onto the cool ground before she collapsed or fainted. Her throat hurt and she bit down upon her lip to keep herself silent. He had smiled as though nothing was out of the ordinary. As though, perhaps, they were going to sit down to tea in a few minutes. She could still see a trace of his smile etched on the tree.

A furious, sickening, childish, familiar hatred seethed within Phibrizzo. Xelloss didn't make mistakes. Zelas did not create him to make mistakes. Surely he was mocking the Hellmaster, acting as though he could smile at death. It wasn't fair.

Val felt numb. Xelloss could not be dead. Ancient Dragons died. Golden Dragons died. Gaav died. Everything good and bad in the world died. But Xelloss… surely Xelloss could be cut up into tiny pieces one day and return the next with an infuriating performer's smile upon his face. It was how the universe worked.

Gourry closed his eyes.

The silence broke. Suddenly they began to speak; asking why, cursing Xelloss, or both at once

"He tried to do that to me," said Gaav angrily, unaware of the volume of his voice as he gesticulated at the tree. "That bastard."

"But he can't be dead, can he?" Amelia asked, her voice sounded shrill and stressed. "That wouldn't be right, that couldn't be right."

"After all of the tea he's taken from me, I've never landed a solid hit!" Filia exclaimed indignantly as though the fact was the greatest outrage perpetrated by the Trickster Priest. "And now I'll never…" A forlorn hiccup cut her off from finishing her thought.

They continued to talk over and past one another, addressing questions and abuse to nothing in particular.

"Lina?" Gourry's voice was soft and steady and it managed to bypass the more voluble comments.

Lina screamed.

The veritable howl of fury seemed to overrun the city with echoes of rage as the sorceress launched herself into the air. A few branches and a torrent of shredded leaves descended upon her friends as she spiraled violently through the leafy ceiling, soaring along a straight path into the sky like a rocket launched for the distant moon. She was like a wrathful arrow loosed to pierce the heavens.

"Miss Lina!" Amelia called desperately as disoriented fairy souls swirled into the vacuum left by the sorceress' flight and blocked the shrinking figure from Amelia's eyes. "Miss Lina!"

"Let's go, Amelia," Zelgadis urged, already denying the bonds of gravity.

"Don't."

The command was simple and the restraining hand upon Zelgadis' shoulder lent authority to the single word.

"Gourry?" At the moment there was nothing better to ask.

Their eyes turned to him expectantly. Even the eyes of demons and dragons watched him and waited for him to speak. It was as though they expected him to fill in for Lina, to know what to do, or at least act that way, while she was absent because he was always with her.

"Let's just give her a few minutes," Gourry pleaded. "Lina just needs to, just needs to…" words, he knew, were not his forte. If only he could convey what he knew instinctually without the awkwardness of words.

"Lina just needs to beat someone up since she's been stressed?" Amelia suggested helpfully.

"Lina just needs to understand how serious the situation is?" Zelgadis proffered logically.

"Lina just needs to blow something up and if you go after her you'll be her victim." Gaav declared confidently.

"Lina just needs to… um…" Val began, easily coming up with several dozen ways that Lina Inverse could improve herself and struggling to find anything that appropriately matched the situation.

"Lina likes real things," Gourry stated with clumsy confidence before anyone else could attempt to finish his thought. "Lina likes things like treasure and food because those sorts of things can be seen and she can touch them and smell them and taste them. She likes magic because she can feel it and see it and control it." He glanced entreatingly from one face to another but it was obvious that he was explaining things poorly. "She likes to be able to define and redefine things her way and make up rules to test her understanding," he added.

"So she's trying to define what just happened by her standards?" Zelgadis asked skeptically.

"Well, bad stuff like death and loss is kinda hard to understand when you take the time to think about it, right?" Gourry returned, "Especially when it happens to hit you in the face. Lina needs to sort her thoughts out so she can accept that she can't always use a spell to get rid of bad stuff. Once she's a bit calmer, she'll know exactly what to do. Or she'll do something. Either way, it'll work out."

Gaav's face displayed a mix between approval and uncertainty as to whether Gourry was telling the truth or completely off his rocker.

"Sir Gourry." Sylphiel spoke for the first time since Flagoon's seed had sprouted so violently in the center of Seyruun. "Please find Ms. Lina. When she is ready to fight she may need the Blessed Blade."

As she spoke, an unremarkable hole in the tree grew larger and something gleamed from deep within the trunk. A sword far too ornate and jewel-encrusted to appear useable passed from a group of swiftly growing branches into Sylphiel's waiting hands. The instant her hands supported the blade's surprisingly minimal weight, the new branches twisted shut over the hole in the tree and a light breeze flew through the greenery above.

Gourry did not resist as Sylphiel handed the sword to him. For a few seconds that seemed to last several minutes, Gourry looked down upon the weapon in his hands, puzzling over the changes in the blade. His throat contracted several times, but he didn't utter a sound.

"Please," Sylphiel urged quietly. "Take the Blessed Blade to Ms. Lina."

"Okay." The word dropped blandly from his mouth while his eyes continued to memorize the new sword. He looked up suddenly and smiled weakly. "I guess I'd better, huh?"

"Let's go, Mr. Gourry," said Amelia as she tugged on his shirt sleeve.

With a nod from Zelgadis, Amelia led the swordsman and the chimera out of the echoing courtyard. Filia, Gaav, and Val watched the retreating figures while Marinnie kicked a few small pebbles along the ground and Sylphiel stood with her back to them, confiding her tears to Flagoon.

"Think we should go too?" Gaav asked abruptly after a silence, aside from the creaking growth of the giant tree, which arrived with every departure.

"Yeah, let's," Val agreed with hasty enthusiasm. "Yeah, I'd rather not stand around without knowing what's going on."

"Val…" Filia began reproachfully.

He turned guiltily to face her; since Gaav's return, he'd willfully pushed interfering thoughts or considerations about her into a corner of his consciousness. Her lips were nearly white and the blood that had left her mouth rose unattractively in her cheeks. She looked as though she could cry at any instant.

"Yes," Filia stated loudly. "Let's go." The declaration was far too resolved to be convincing. "Perhaps we can help Lina."

"'Perhaps we can help'," Marinnie mimicked before giggling. "I mean, how could a pair of dragons and two Mazoku Lords possibly assist a bunch of humans?"

"That's the problem with Lina, isn't it?" Gaav shrugged, already swinging his sword in a wide circle. "She makes the rest of us look bad."

"Ms., um, S-Sylphiel?" Filia called, hoping that she hadn't mispronounced the other woman's name.

Sylphiel jumped slightly and turned around, quickly drawing a hand over her eyes and smiling.

"Are you," Filia hesitated, trying to decide what to ask. "Alri— Are you coming with us?"

"I…" Sylphiel stammered as four pairs of unfamiliar eyes stared at her. "Yes, I'm coming."

A few strides brought her to the front of the small group and she bowed her head as she led them into the deserted streets. Gaav's looming presence and heavy footsteps told Sylphiel that the Devil Dragon King was close on her heels and the occasional outburst of bickering signified that neither Marinnie nor Val was in danger of falling behind.

Filia paused at the edge of the courtyard and looked back.

Then she hurried after the others. Behind her, the tree stood amidst the royal buildings reflecting the sunset, gently waving branches at her back.

……………………

For a long time he felt as though he was sinking slowly into unknown depths. It wasn't an altogether unpleasant sensation; the part of his mind that wasn't focusing on keeping his body from falling apart found it rather interesting that he could experience anything while dying.

'_If,'_ he amended resolutely, _'I am actually dying.'_

He tried to open his eyes observe the physical plane around him because, as far as he could sense, his current connection to the astral plane didn't exist beyond his own body.

Through squinting eyes, he could see a point of semi-light far ahead of him. Beyond that, his surroundings consisted of an amber-tinted view wobbling nauseatingly around him until it faded into darkness. It was as though he was within a long tunnel filled with orange marmalade.

Curiosity got the better of him and he allowed his tongue to flick out across his lips. Whatever he was sinking through, it lacked the tang of citrus. It was, however, sugary enough to send a Golden Dragon into diabetic shock. Hopefully the Sea of Chaos was salty rather than sweet.

The point of dim light was larger now, he had never doubted that it was his destination, and he reached his hand forward to grasp at the end of the tunnel.

The hand he saw before him barely resembled either of the hands he had crafted so carefully and tended to over the centuries. Like a watercolor picture with water spilled carelessly upon it, his once familiar hand, from his carefully manicured nails to his long fingers and smooth skin, looked less distinct and too pale, nearly transparent.

He clutched at the edge of the faint light a tad harder than necessary; perhaps he was annoyed at the change in his hands, as though it was an affront to his aesthetic sensibilities and a violation of his personality. With more physical effort than he liked to exert on a regular basis, especially since it felt as though he could shatter without warning, he dragged his self into the light.

For a painfully comical moment he realized that he was at the top of a decent sized cavern rather than the odd, syrup-filled tunnel. Gravity, possibly his favorite thing to ignore, chose that unfortunate moment to seize him in a tight embrace.

With an unpleasant crunching, Xelloss crumpled on to the dirt floor of the cave. A protruding root managed to land a particularly painful blow to his stomach.

'_Well,'_ he mused as the heady perfume of rich soil flooded over him, _'For lack of a better description, this is interesting.'_

Xelloss could see his hands a few inches away from his face and he concentrated on them, remembering the shapes and dimensions that he preferred. Slowly the hands responded to his will, steadily becoming more solid-looking and familiar until the hazy, washed out appearance practically vanished.

As he gingerly clenched and unclenched his hands on the ground, Xelloss assessed his situation.

He hurt.

There was no way to ignore the pain and weariness that plagued him. And, to add insult to injury, his clothes were a tattered, indecent mess.

"Someone up there must really like ripping up my right arm. But," he said aloud with more cheerfulness than the situation merited, "I'm not dead yet."

"I'm not dead yet. Not dead yet." His echo replied, oddly distorted by the cavern's walls until it sounded nearly indignant at the suggestion. He almost expected his echo to declare that he felt happy or that he was getting better, but the thought was unfounded.

As his echo faded into oblivion within the winding tunnels that intersected the cavern, a new sound caught his attention. His keen ears could hear the soft padding of bare feet. Someone, or something, was walking nearby with a pace befitting a romantic stroll under a full moon in a rose garden.

Xelloss waited patiently as the footsteps grew louder.

The slap of bare feet finally halted within a foot from Xelloss and he raised his head slightly to examine the creature that stood gawking at him.

A nut-brown face surrounded by an emerald halo of tangled hair or vines greeted his gaze. Dark eyes, like round puddles of India ink, peered out from below a pair of delicate, fern-like eyebrows and scanned him from head to toe with an almost hungry gleam. Xelloss' eyes moved away from the disconcertingly searching look and wandered upwards to the hypnotically swaying hair. A pair of mismatched black antlers perched peacefully within the medusa hairstyle and spread their uneven prongs at varying angles.

A twig-fingered hand swooped rudely in front of his eyes, beckoning him away from the curling vines and black antlers and back to the present situation.

Silence reigned as supreme dictator for an indeterminate time while the Mazoku and the humanoid being continued to assess the other.

Xelloss smiled politely, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" At the moment, there wasn't anything else to say.

The creature shook its antlered head emphatically without looking away from Xelloss.

"I don't believe we've been introduced," Xelloss prompted casually, propping himself up upon his arms without wincing. Hopefully the Thing could understand him.

"I'm Flagoon," the other stated as though the fact was self-evident and repetitive to pronounce. A pause, and then a rush of words tumbled out like floodwaters released from the captivity of a dam, "Say, it's been ages since there's been anyone to talk to! Zanaffar is gone, just vanished, maybe dead, and I can't find that funny fellow with the mismatched eyes and red robes either. It gets a little boring, Mr. um, Mr. …do you mind if I call you Mr. Miracle-Grow? I really think it suits you."

"I mind."

"Ah? That's a shame. I like nicknames; they're easier to remember most of the time. I mean, a name like, say, 'Lina' is perfectly lovely but a title like 'Dragon Spooker' or 'The enemy of all that live' or 'Bandit Killer' tends to give a better picture of the actual person, don't you think?"

"I think the name 'Lina' gives the exact impression necessary; particularly when followed with the surname of 'Inverse'." Xelloss replied to the rambling babble.

"Really? Now that's funny. You must have a good mind for names, eh? Perhaps you'd make a good politician."

"I don't doubt it," Xelloss said a bit stiffly.

"Doubt is something that you should release," Flagoon smiled meditatively. "Well, now that I have you here, I hope we can be friends, Mr. um… um… Mr. Miracle-Grow really isn't that bad a name."

"I have a perfectly fine name. I'm Xelloss."

"Huh, never heard of you. Then again, trees don't really have ears so it's hard to hear. Literally. You could say I'm a bit hard of hearing."

"You are indeed a tree?"

"What other reason would there be for me to run about decked out in the latest 'Plants'R'Us' fashion?" Flagoon returned cheerfully, gesturing to the leafy toga it wore. "This is the latest; fig leaves went out of the flora fashion eons ago."

"Fig leaves never were very comfortable," Xelloss agreed sagely; he was fully versed in the ways of wearing fig leaves, "And they had an awful habit of falling off at inopportune moments. But, seeing as you claim to be a tree, I do not see any reason for you to want me to remain here."

"I said it's been ages since there's been anyone to talk to," Flagoon said patiently. "It gets lonely. I'd like you to keep me company. Especially around dinner time."

"I doubt I'd be very good company for what you have in mind," Xelloss smiled, "Surely you could find someone more predisposed towards being a good companion? I could easily send someone else your way at a later date if you would point me to the nearest exit now."

"Ah, I don't be-_leaf_ that sounds like a good bargain," the tree frowned.

Xelloss raised his left eyebrow the height of a spider's leg, unsure if he'd heard correctly.

"I doubt I'll find anything to enjoy around your dinner time, no matter what interesting conversations you have planned. By parting company now, neither of us shall harbor ill feelings towards the other for years on end. Surely that cannot be all that bad a proposition."

"Dinner won't be that bad, my bark is worse than my bite," Flagoon said soothingly. "Besides, is there anything out there worth returning to?"

"Of course there is," Xelloss answered automatically. "I have things to do, orders to fulfill, and… and… there are things that I have spent time cultivating which will not last without me."  
"Like a flower garden?"

Xelloss suppressed a snort at the idea of himself decked out in garden clothing carefully weeding and tending lovingly to a literal flower garden, but accepted the suggestion as a useful metaphor for what he meant.

"Like a flower garden," he echoed agreeably. "And I fear that, if you do not release me, it will wither away without my attentions."

"Flowers are nice," Flagoon mused dreamily, "Short-lived, but really wonderful when they're around. And perennials come back when spring arrives so they don't really die."

"It shows that they want to live," Xelloss added encouragingly, "But without careful attention even the hardiest flowers cannot grow or bloom in a fully pleasing manner."

"Yes, yes," Flagoon nodded. The black eyes turned back to Xelloss and the Mazoku felt as though every bit of Flagoon's attention focused upon him; a sensation aided by Flagoon's swaying mass of vine-like hair swinging around at him and holding temporarily still. "You're talking about Morning Glories, aren't you?"  
"Morning Glories?" Xelloss echoed, bewildered at the choice of flower.

"_Vine_," Flagoon stated, "Listen, _bud_, I'm a bit of a _sap_, I hate to make a pretty flower pine away, so I'll let you _leaf_."  
"Would that be 'live' or 'leave'?" Xelloss asked as he attempted to make sense of the tree's latest statement.

"Leaf," Flagoon repeated simply. Seeing Xelloss' quizzical look, Flagoon reiterated loudly and slowly: "Lee-_Vuh_."

"Thank you."

"But you _willow_ me something in return," Flagoon cautioned seriously.

"That is to be expected," Xelloss replied calmly like a veteran barterer, "Name your terms."

"Let the wild birds come nest in me, let children of all ages climb my branches and hide their treasures in my tunnels, let lovers pledge their affections beneath my boughs, and let great minds come and teach the masses in my shade. Tell them to rest beside me while they live and rest below me once they die."

"I'm sure that can be done…" Xelloss trailed off doubtfully. "But, for the sake of knowing, why?"

"I'm a tree, what else am I good for? Really, worshiping me doesn't do a thing for me. I don't have an ego. Well, not much of one"

Xelloss considered this declaration with a mild smile and decided against contradicting the tree.

"Very well, I will pass on your message." The sincerity was forced, but it didn't sound too far from the genuine article.

"I am over-_elm_-ed at your generosity," Flagoon smiled, apparently satisfied. "Can you sit up?" Xelloss managed to sit up and, with enthusiastic assistance from the tree's twig fingered hand, he stumbled to his feet. "Good, here you go."

A bundle of white cloth found its way into Xelloss' hands and he obediently unfurled it. Aside from a discolored patch of old blood surrounding a clean-edged tear, the simple robe was a good quality piece of clothing. With slight pondering over the bloodstain and misgivings for the excessive bagginess, Xelloss draped the abundance of robe over his shoulders and knotted it numerous times around his hips.

"There isn't anything in my size, is there?" Xelloss asked lightheartedly as he hoisted up the hem and tried to tie it out of the way.

"Fig leaves."

"This will do nicely."

"_Oak_-eh," Flagoon said easily, for all appearances willing to go off somewhere to find a few fig leaves. "Then let's go."

The two padded away into the tunnels.

……………………

They found Lina standing alone amidst the rubble created by her latest Dragon Slave.

Within the colorless wreckage, she leapt out dramatically as the only spot of brightness. A slight evening breeze ruffled her hair as she stood like a final sentinel in the middle of the destruction she had wrought. When they approached she glanced quickly over her shoulder at them before returning to stare at the mess of rubble.

She looked as though she had been crying.

"Wow, I sure made a mess," Lina said loudly without turning. "Maybe I overdid it a bit."

"It isn't your fault," Amelia murmured consolingly. "It was for the greater good."

"Everything will work out," Gourry predicted optimistically. He placed his free hand on Lina's shoulder, only to feel her body tense uneasily. "Everything will work out, Lina Inverse," he repeated for her. "I believe in you."

"Thanks," Lina mumbled. She sighed and relaxed. "Thanks. So what're we doing now?" She smiled cockily and looked around at Amelia and Zelgadis.  
"Sylphiel wanted me to give this to you," said Gourry, offering the Bless Blade carefully.

Lina eyed the fanciful sword. A large ruby orb sat at the pommel and three gems, like Orion's belt in crimson, were set upon the dark metal of the sword. A pair of twinkling amethysts winked up at her from the hilt as it met the blade shaped like a cross section of a cone.

She reached out in unsure curiosity.

"No," Lina amended, "You hold on to it, Gourry. You're better with a sword than I'll ever be."

"But, Lina…"

"I'll be okay. You hang on to it."

To enforce her point, she pushed his hands closed around the hilt and let her hands drop casually onto her hips.

"Now that we have the secret weapon, I guess our next step is to find the bad guy," Lina declared. Amelia and Zelgadis nodded, agreeing with the obvious plan. "We'll get in a fight with him, he'll try a few big attacks, a few of our spell won't work, it'll look bad for a bit, and then we'll win thanks to me. Right?"

"It's a little worrisome that you've got this all planned out," Zelgadis observed, "Right down to the bit with a few spells not working properly."

"Although," Amelia added, "It's more worrisome that all of it is supported by past experience."

"At least we won't be rafting off a waterfall this time," Gourry pointed out encouragingly. "Well," he added in response to a trio of raised eyebrows, "We've done that every time we get on raft."

"Sad but true," Lina remarked, mildly horrified at her dismal boating record.

Then she giggled, recollecting her river-related misadventures. The giggle grew into a chuckle, partially encouraged by the bamboozled expressions on her friends' faces. From there it became borderline hysterical laughter. It felt really good to laugh, as though all of the stress and drama of the day was melting from her mind.

"Ms. Lina?" Amelia asked nervously. _'Has she finally lost it?' _"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Lina smiled, wiping a few mirthful tears out of the corner of her eye. "It's nothing to worry about. Just, well, we do seem to do a lot of things over and over. Some things stay the same with us."

"You think so?" Amelia wondered.

"Yeah," Lina nodded encouragingly, "We do ride down waterfalls every time we get on a raft, we dress Gourry up like a girl on occasion," Lina noticed idly that Gourry shuddered and inched away as though he expected Lina and Amelia to procure a pink dress and lipstick. "We, well, I go after bandits and their treasure whenever we're short of cash, we eat and fight over scraps at every meal," Lina's stomach growled, reminding her that, minus a swiped ice cream cone, she hadn't eaten since that morning. "I cast the Dragon Slave when I'm angry, you, Amelia, climb up on tall objects to give speeches, Zel wanders off alone but he always comes back in the end, and Gourry is always at my side."

"Yes, it's all true," Amelia agreed, her blue eyes gazing distantly into her memories. "We really do have our habits. And," she smiled and almost giggled, "We seem to repeat our past misadventures more frequently than we should."

"Finally, and most importantly," Lina continued, happy that Amelia saw the humor. "We always win. If not at first, we survive to fight and win at another time. Demon lords, crazy priests, average bandit scum, pesky Mazoku; it doesn't matter. We always win eventually. And we all make it out alive eventually."

"And once we're done with one battle it's about time for a new enemy to start plotting your demise," Zelgadis sighed, trying to hide a small smile from the sorceress.

"Vicious cycles work that way," Lina shrugged Zelgadis' stock of pessimism away. "There's no point in worrying about the inevitable. Right now, right here, and the little snatches of normal life are the things that really matter. We'll find our villain, defeat him, and then we'll get Xelloss out of Flagoon. Finally, we'll eat a really good dinner and then we'll get on with life, crazy villains plotting to kill us and all of that." Lina's confidence grew with each word until it overflowed from her and infected the others.

"In the name of Justice, we will triumph!" Amelia exclaimed enthusiastically. "Seyruun shall not suffer the indignity of the continued threat from our unknown villain. We shall smite him as we smite all that is evil and unjust!"

"Exactly, exactly," Lina smiled, shamelessly egging the younger woman on.

"I don't think I survived all of the battles you've dragged me into, from Rezo and his clone to Valgaav and Darkstar, just to lose to some nameless troublemaker," Zelgadis assented grudgingly to Lina's engaging optimism.

"I knew you'd see it that way," Lina smirked at her friend.

"Look out."

"Excuse me, what?" Lina asked stupidly, wondering why Gourry wasn't declaring his readiness for battle.

"Look out!"

With the repetition of his warning; he dropped the Blessed Blade, lunged for her, and wrapped her face and neck in his arms and sheltered her with his body.

Reacting to Gourry's words and movement, trusting his supernatural instinct for danger, both Amelia and Zelgadis cast shielding spells.

A split second later an attack of angry crimson energy, looking for all the world like the beam of a Dragon Slave, burned through the air towards them and collided forcefully with the two magical barriers. Even behind Amelia and Zelgadis' spells and in the protection of Gourry's arms, the shock of the blast rattled Lina's teeth and hurt her eardrums. The resultant wind nearly tore her cape away and, without really registering it, she heard the Blessed Blade clattering into the rubble.

"It looks like we've got our villain," Lina quipped, hastily surveying the consequences of the sudden, and what she deemed as patently unfair, attack on the city.

A perfectly non-descript man approached them slowly along the path of the attack, swaying slightly as though he lacked some motor coordination. Light blue wisps hovered around him and he clutched a battered old knife with fanatical possessiveness.

He raised his head with some effort and looked at the foursome with eyes the color of the taste of plain oatmeal.

"Hello, Seyruun."

……………………

They walked in silence most of the way. Occasionally Xelloss would punctuate the quiet with a request to stop for a moment or to inquire how much longer it would be, but for the most part both the garrulous incarnation of the tree and the secretive Mazoku were silent.

"Do you mind if we stop for a few seconds?" Xelloss asked politely. It felt as though they had been walking for hours within the maze, although he knew that he had lost his sense of proportion and dimension when roots had ripped from his body.

"I don't mind." Flagoon's inhuman voice sounded a bit truculent underneath the casual reply.

With permission granted, Xelloss leaned against the side of the tunnel and tried to divert his mind from the nagging aches and pains. He made a note to never let a tree plant itself in his innards again.

"It's gonna be lonely when you leave," Flagoon said suddenly. "I was lonely when Zanaffar disappeared."

"Zanaffar was capable of behaving like good company?" Xelloss asked skeptically.

"Yes he was," Flagoon responded defensively. Then the tree paused and considered, "Well, he was quite pleasant to be with aside from spewing hatred for the world in general, an obsession with creating a race of similar creatures, and whining about being stuck with me."

"Speech is quite a feat for a parasitic, magical mistake stuck in a private pocket of the astral plane," Xelloss reckoned. With a slight noise, he peeled his slack form from the tunnel wall and stood gingerly on his feet. "I'm ready to go now."

Flagoon didn't respond, apparently lost in thought.

"Shall we continue?" Xelloss prompted loudly.

"Oh, yes," Flagoon nodded absent-mindedly. "Yes, come along."

Flagoon began walking again, at a much slower pace. Like a pond after a single night of frigid temperatures, Flagoon's black eyes looked glazed and empty. The verdant dreadlocks twisted into complex knots and unfurled again with a meditative rhythm.

"Say," Flagoon said loudly after five minutes of thoughtful meandering. "Have you ever been in love?" The Question bounced through the tunnel and assaulted the startled Mazoku from all sides.

"Me?" Xelloss hated those times when surprise stole his eloquence.

"Yeah."

"I am required to answer in the negative," Xelloss replied carefully. "Realize that one of the greatest blasphemies of the Mazoku race is to declare anything beyond lust or possessiveness for another being or an object."

"Aw, c'mon," Flagoon wheedled enthusiastically. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. You can tell me anything, it's not like I can tell anyone else. It'll be our little secret. Whaddya say?"

"The answer is still negative," Xelloss stated calmly, bemused at the interest in romance the tree displayed. "And even if I was, how should I know it? The Mazoku tribe lacks a verified precedent."

"Huh?"

"How can a race composed, for the most part, of supernatural, malignant, black goo define 'love'? Now, if _you_ want to wax philosophical over the overriding nature of love or whatever…"

"No thanks," Flagoon yelped and shuddered so violently with repulsion at the suggestion that he clattered. "I'm too busy photosynthesizing today. Just leave the tough questions of life to someone with a brain and too much time on their hands."

"There's the sentiment I'm used to," said Xelloss cheerfully.

They continued to walk. A slight springiness entered Xelloss' step, only restricted by the cumbersome white hem of the borrowed robe, and Flagoon lagged slightly, trying to put a crazy idea into words.

"If you were stuck with someone you hated forever and ever and neither of you could kill the other, what do you think would happen to both of you?" Flagoon asked as they rounded a bend and reached a steep inclination.

"Is this a variation of that 'If you could have three things on a deserted island…' game?" After the last peculiar question, Xelloss was becoming wary. A round of hypothetical ping-pong did not appeal to him under the present conditions.

"No, no," Flagoon laughed, "I don't think I'd be very good at that game. What would I want aside from sunlight, clean water, and nitrogen rich soil, right?"

"I was under the impression that you'd want company."

"Mm... there is that." Flagoon sighed, "You know, I think I might've loved."

"Oh?" If nothing else, Xelloss' eyebrow was getting a workout.

"I think I might've loved Zanaffar."

Surely, Xelloss felt, he couldn't raise his eyebrow up any further without running the risk of losing it altogether.

"But it's hard to tell because, as with your race, there isn't exactly a definition of love for a tree. There wasn't anything _lustful_… goodness knows I can pollinate myself if I want to."

Xelloss refused to say anything. Silence, he knew, was the best tonic for illogical ramblings.

"So… um… what d'you think about dragons?" Flagoon inquired hastily.

"Amusing," Xelloss shrugged casually and grabbed at the loose robe before it slipped off of his shoulders. "That is, until they try. Draconic humor leaves much to be desired, a gag for instance."

Flagoon laughed.

"Aren't you supposed to be arch-enemies with the servants of the Gods? I've always understood that to be the case."

"Only during times of war. The rest of the time, well, they're skillful at making tea. Neither Lord Ruby Eyes nor Cepheid can kill the other now, so there's no point for their servants to waste time trying to exterminate one another. Grumbling and petty words are less dangerous and much more satisfying in the long term."

"I couldn't completely consume Zanaffar and Zanaffar was incapable of destroying me," Flagoon murmured. "Eventually we adapted to one another and didn't attempt anything drastic. We didn't talk that much; he avoided me a lot of the time, but knowing that there was someone else there meant something. When he vanished, I minded. What is that? Why is that?"

"That," Xelloss responded cautiously, "Is not my business."

"Of course, the same thing applies to Sairaag and her citizens," Flagoon reflected wistfully. "I'm sure I loved the city and the people within. When they died, I wish I could've cried. Tell me, how is the city now? How is my final priestess, dear little Sylphiel?"

"Sairaag is a city for ghosts," Xelloss reported emotionlessly. "As for the young lady, she is alive and healthy." _'Perhaps a bit emotionally distraught, but still sane enough.'_

"I'm glad. I hope she can find happiness. Happiness is a wonderful thing."

The ground became level again and a few feet away the pathway ended.

"Sorry," Flagoon chuckled, halting. "I'm being a bit _sappy_, huh?"

"A bit."

"Well, it doesn't matter now. This is as far as I can take you." Flagoon patted the wall ahead with a peculiar smile. "This is the end of our path. You must go the rest of the way alone."

"Thank you." Xelloss knew when to show gratitude.

"Goodbye, Xelloss. Have fun with your garden; tell your flowers 'happy photosynthesizing' for me. I hope that someday you'll find a great, big, beautiful flower in your garden and that you'll be prepared when it happens."

Xelloss placed his hands upon the wall and felt it give slightly, like thick mud or dense bushes.

A chill ran up his back as Flagoon's twig-fingered hand, feeling like the grasp of a skeleton, rested on his shoulder. Surely the tree didn't intend to hold him back any longer.

A wave of dizziness hit him and he could hear the tree's voice, distant and odd.

"I hope you don't mind paying a small toll, I get the munchies too sometimes. Grin and bear it, pulling a tree out of you hurts almost as much as having a tree growing in you."

Xelloss stumbled on the hem of the robe and he felt Flagoon shove him into the wall. Once more he fell.

……………………

Lina ducked as another furious red beam flew past them. The noise and dust overwhelmed her senses for a few confused moments, short intervals in which she desperately strove to perceive where the next attack would come from.

'_Really,'_ she thought indignantly as she coughed in the cloud of rock dust, _'Most of the time the villains like to talk a bit more. It's just proper etiquette; even the lowliest of bandits like to chat with me before I fry them. Not that I like to chat with bandits.'_

The strange attacker suddenly loomed a few inches before Lina, interrupting her musings on etiquette for the bad. She recoiled with a yelp.

The man's face was entirely normal, like a person you'd walk past on the streets and never look at. He looked more like a piece of everyday scenery than a madman bent on destroying Seyruun. Uninteresting and featureless, that was all he appeared to be.

Only two things seemed out of the ordinary. The first abnormal feature was the blue strands of energy cycling around his arm and into the knife in his hand. The second thing that Lina noticed was his smell; below a layer of sweaty stench, she could smell something worse. Something rotten.

"Nefarious villain who doth assault our city and drive the good people from their homes," Amelia cried fiercely, she had thought of a thousand things to say at this moment throughout the long day. "You have many sins to answer for at the end of this day! What cowardice is it that drives you to goad the Mazoku into striking sweet Seyruun while you skulk in the shadows and hide your name? Do you think you can escape Justice by concealing your identity? Nay, every face and every soul is revealed in the end by the unstoppable reach of Truth! Speak villain, who are you who would shame your ancestor's through your evil actions? Or is your name so black that even you cannot read it?"

"I," the man croaked, and the self-identifying word seemed entirely unnatural coming from someone with such a lack of distinguishing features, "am… Edgar…" he spoke his own name with a note of curiosity, like a man who has discovered a forgotten remnant of a happy childhood. "Edgar Crow, a faceless man."

"Edgar Crow," Lina repeated. The name didn't mean anything.

"And you are Seyruun," the fellow continued, pointing at Amelia with his knife. "You," he indicated Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis, "Must be Seyruun's walls. All must fall before me." He would've sounded childish if his voice wasn't so dull.

"Lina, do you think he's crazy?" Gourry whispered in her ear.

Lina, resisting the impulse for comedic violence, whispered back, "I think he's very crazy, Gourry. And that scares me slightly."

Edgar lunged suddenly, like a homicidal jack-in-the-box. The bland face didn't contort with emotion and the blank eyes remained unblinking.

Lina leapt lightly out of the way, confident in her legs. As she landed a sharp pang alerted her to a problem in her side. She pressed a hand against her side only to take it away a few seconds later, stained with blood.

"Ms. Lina, you're hurt!" Amelia's concerned voice declared the obvious.

"'s nothing," Lina said already busying herself with a healing spell, "Just a scratch." _'But how did he get me?'_

The bluish mist around Edgar's arm twitched, like a soggy dog shaking off water, and a few drops of Lina's blood flew through the air.

"Ew… Gourry, can you keep him busy with the Blessed Blade?" Lina asked as Edgar wheeled around to stare blankly at her. "I just need a minute."

"I don't have it," Gourry's reply sounded desperate as he swung his sword to block Edgar from Lina and Amelia. "I dropped it; I don't know where it is now."

"What?!" Lina squawked, her eyes bugging out at the awkward confession. "You jellyfish," she added in exasperated afterthought, rubbing the soreness out of her newly healed wound.

"I'll find it, it has to be here somewhere," Zelgadis volunteered, "But you need to get him away from the city before he destroys too much more."

A crimson streak tore through the air between Zelgadis and Lina, and, if his point needed to be emphasized any further, the following explosion hurled large pebbles dangerously near Lina's head.

"Right," Lina agreed, sniffing and wondering if the last near-miss had left her right eyebrow singed. "Hurry, Zel. Please."

Zelgadis nodded and leapt and sprinted away.

"And now," Lina glared at the characterless man standing patiently with his head twisted at a disturbing angle. "Diem Wind!" The surprise burst of air blasted into Edgar's stomach and sent him flying limply away. "Let's see if we really need the Blessed Blade to deal with this scum." Fire burst into her hand, licking her fingers with fierce joy.

"Ms. Lina… the look in your eye is scaring me…" Amelia mumbled as she raced after the sorceress.

……………………

Zelgadis swiftly traced his steps back to where they had stood before the initial attack. He recalled hearing the Blessed Blade clatter out of Gourry's hand shortly before the first attack. He stood still with his eyes closed in concentration. His hands moved in angles and words occasionally escaped from him.

After a minute of calculating and muttering, Zelgadis' brow furrowed and his expression darkened.

"Seven or eight?" Zelgadis demanded of the air. "Was that last attack the seventh or the eighth?"

Normally there wasn't a need to count the number of times an enemy attacked, but Zelgadis was proud of his memory and ability to notice small details that could come in handy later.

With a grunt of irritation, the chimera knelt in the dust and began to draw in the dirt.

"Assuming a power level similar to a Gaav Flare in the physical plane, the initial attack should send it here because the wind was redirected upon contact with the shields," Zelgadis muttered, "The next one wouldn't have sent it along that same line, rather the angle would be…" More scribbling followed by several strings of numbers. "Then we moved here…" "The horizontal velocity would've driven it into the wall there, but the next explosion should've…" "So depending on the structural integrity it would've ricocheted or been buried. If it was buried, then it doesn't matter if there was an eighth explosion or not. But assuming the sword did ricochet and if there was an eighth explosion then …"

Furiously, Zelgadis wrote out another column of numbers generated by obscure calculations.

"Then it could be here or there." The carefully deduced solution pleased him and the conclusion of the problem filled him with purpose.

He drew a narrow circle over his sketch of the city sector to clarify his search area.

"I must hurry," the words were a mantra that moved his legs for him. _'I must hurry, for the sake of Amelia's city.' _His body hurled through the air powerfully, fueled by adrenaline and willpower more than his super-human abilities.

He turned a corner as he rushed towards his goal and his mind registered color, particularly a large wall of orange and red in his trajectory. His legs, goaded on by the mantra, did not respond to his brain's urgent demands to halt.

A slew of curses spilled out of Gaav upon the collision and Filia clapped her hands over Val's ears at first and then, in flustered afterthought fed by maternal instinct, attempted unsuccessfully to cover Val's ears and Marinnie's ears at the same time.

"Y'know, I had a ribcage about five seconds ago," Gaav growled, shoving the dazed chimera away from him. "But after that, it's a miracle if I have any fragments of bone larger than my pinky. Felt like a freaking rock rammed me."

"What are you doing here?" Zelgadis asked, wondering if his hair was bent out of shape. "Why are all of you here?"

"We were going to look for Ms. Lina," Filia said, helping Zelgadis up now that her hands were free from attempting to protect the children's ears from profanity. "We weren't about to stand around waiting."

"What are you doing here?" Gaav demanded. "Running away? Or is it already over?"

"Gourry dropped the Blessed Blade."

"Yeah, so?"

"I'm looking for the Blessed Blade."

"How can we help you?" Sylphiel inquired before Gaav could ask why the Blessed Blade was so important.

"I think the sword is either buried within a one-hundred foot radius of a circle with its center approximately ninety feet from our current position," Zelgadis explained, motioning at the collapsing city block around them, "Or, if it is not buried, then it ought to be several blocks further that way. We should locate it faster with more people searching."

"Wait," Filia interjected as Val dropped to his knees and began industriously stacking small rocks, "Allow me to scry for it first, it could save precious time and energy."

"Please do," Zelgadis agreed.

The dragon maiden unlatched her mace and stood it upright, like a gigantic, prickly, iron flower.

"Lina and the others are fighting?" Gaav asked gruffly, apparently willing to forgive Zelgadis for hurling into him this one time.

The chimera nodded quickly.

"Anyone worth fighting?"

"Someone worth defeating."

"Ms. Filia," Sylphiel began timidly, "I've used similar methods, but I've used something much lighter. Are you sure that you can search properly with a mace?"

"Yes," Filia smiled lightly, straightening up. "I've done this before. I just need to--" Leaving the rest of her sentence to the obvious, Filia let out a battle yell and kicked her mace into the air.

For a soap bubble moment, the mace seemed suspended. Seconds later, the lethal weapon smashed into the ground violently, several miles too close for the comfort of five sets of toes.

"The Blessed Blade is in that direction," Filia declared confidently, indicating the center of the circle Zelgadis had calculated.

"Um…" Sylphiel squeaked as her toes slowly uncurled within her shoes from where they had tried to hide behind her heels.

"Are you sure that, well…" Zelgadis continued, wondering if his toes would've broken off outright if they'd been between Filia's mace and the ground.

"That isn't a standard procedure…" Val pointed out.

"There's no way in Hell that that works!" Gaav finally declared with loud outrage and incredulity in his voice.

"Oh, I agree," Marinnie mumbled, "'specially with the 'in Hell' part."

"Of course it works," Filia said, brushing the objections away with an imperious wave. "It's just faster to knock it down. I'm not lying."

Zelgadis, tiring of the banter, strode purposefully over to the spot indicated and began to dig through the rubble with his hands. After a few minutes of frantic solo digging, with the occasional setbacks of dropped stones and shifting rubble, Zelgadis let out a triumphant noise. Filia's prediction, regardless of broken rules, had worked.

The amethysts twinkled mischievously under the early evening moonlight as Zelgadis reverently lifted the dusty blade from the rubble.

"Let's go."

……………………

Lina liked fighting against bandits at night, it was both good exercise and very profitable. Psychotic madmen, on the other hand, presented more of challenge with fewer benefits.

Even with the light left over from the day and an early rising full moon, visibility was poor. Coupled with the near constant dust cloud Edgar's attacks kicked up, Lina was having trouble keeping track of the madman.

'_At least,'_ she groused, _'We've gotten him away from the city. And he doesn't seem to know where we are either.'_

"Bomb Di Wind!" Amelia's disembodied voice yelled. A funnel of air screamed past Lina's left and into Edgar Crow.

The veil of dust drifted slowly downwards to reveal the man with the unimportant face as he stood staring at the swordsman, the sorceress, and the Princess of Seyruun. The uneasy standoff lasted well past the time it took for the dust to return to the earth.

"I will not fail," Edgar nearly snarled. The blue-mist monster on his arm bucked and strained. "Seyruun will fall. Seyruun must fall. Seyruun will die."

His head jerked and he glared over them at the white city under the moonlight. Even the deep scars inflicted over the course of the day in the outer wall seemed to mock him, as though no harm could reach the vitals of the city.

"As long as her people love her, Seyruun will survive," Amelia cried fiercely. "Your wicked desire for destruction will not cause Seyruun to fall. Even if you were to tear down the white walls and bury them ten thousand feet under the ground, Seyruun will not vanish. Verily, the city lives within the people even as the people live within the city!"

"But you," replied Edgar as a creepy smile sliced across his face, "You, Princess Amelia of Seyruun, can die. And so can those that you live within. Your death is the death of Seyruun. You will die."

Amelia flinched.

"Move, Amelia!" Lina ordered as the tendrils of Zanaffar dove into the battered knife.

The explosion caught Lina and flung her away from Amelia.

"Amelia!" Lina yelled hoarsely, struggling to catch her breath. "Amelia! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Ms. Lina," Amelia called back and Lina looked up to see the younger woman as she returned to the ground and dispelled her levitation spell.

"Where is he?" Lina asked nervously.

"I don't know," Gourry replied, suddenly at her side again. "It's like fighting someone who isn't all there. And he really wants to kill Amelia."

"Amelia," a familiar voice rang out from the direction of the city. "Amelia, Lina, Gourry, are you alright?"

"Zel!" Lina shouted back happily. "You have the Blessed Blade?"

"Yes," the chimera's voice called back.

Four tall silhouettes and a pair of shorter shadows approached them and, when the cloud of dust parted momentarily, Lina could see her companions, led by Zelgadis, clearly. As his cape billowed sail-like around his dusty form, the chimera held the precious Blessed Blade aloft.

"You rock, Zel," Lina smiled as she, Gourry, and Amelia rushed to join Zelgadis.

It was as she ran with her hands outstretched to take the Blessed Blade that Lina her Amelia's yelp.

"Ouch…" Amelia mumbled sheepishly as she started to rise from where she had stumbled several feet behind Lina and Gourry.

"Geez, Amelia," Lina rolled her eyes dramatically at her friend's klutzy action.

Suddenly a slouched figure rose out of the camouflaging dust, standing behind Amelia with a battered knife whistling downwards with murderous intent.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the rights to Slayers or any other literature/anime I may or may not reference.

I do not profit in a monetary sense from writing fan fiction

Thank you for your kindness and tolerance.

……

_Just Us_

……

"Ouch…" Amelia mumbled sheepishly.

She drew a hissing breath as she pushed her scraped palms against the ground and bit her lip as she put pressure on her knees. It stung more than it hurt, and she had had much worse in the past. Her pride had suffered the more bruising than either her hands or her knees; Amelia thought that she'd outgrown the exaggerated clumsiness a few years ago.

"Geez, Amelia," Lina called to the princess, and, despite the distance, Amelia could tell that Lina was rolling her eyes.

Suddenly Lina's smirk vanished and she yelled. Amelia, glimpsing the reflection of steel under moonlight in her bracelet, looked over her shoulder. The rotting smell caught her nose and made her eyes water.

Edgar loomed over her like a grotesque jack-in-the box with his knife aiming for her head.

He was going to stab her.

He was going to stab her.

He was going to **STAB** her.

Even as she told herself to move, Amelia felt her limbs freezing. Before the unfriendly gleam of steel, she was the helpless little girl again.

"Amelia!" She didn't know who shouted so authoritatively, but the voice was familiar.

The knife hissed towards her face, whispering deadly promises. Amelia closed her eyes, hoping illogically that her eyelids could shield her from harm.

And then warm arms wrapped around her, lifted her, and they were flying low against the ground. They were flying too close to the ground, for the two bodies plowed painfully into the ground after a few flurried seconds. Amelia could hear her shoulder crack as it hit the ground, but the other acted as a shield from more harm.

Amelia opened her eyes as she tried to catch her breath. She saw thick, dark blood leaking steadily out of an ugly wound on the other woman's alabaster back and sticking to her rumpled, dark hair.

"Naga?" Lina yelled, "Naga? Nice one, thank you!" The sorceress paused in her shouting, unnerved by her former travelling companion's lack of laughter.

"Oh," Amelia gasped weakly, recognizing the woman sprawled on her lap. Years of separation meant nothing. "Gracia…"

Swiftly she tried to position her shaking hands over her unconscious sister's back and tried to chant a healing spell.

'_Let me save her. Please let me save __**someone**__ today. Don't take my sister away from me again.' _A nervous flicker of white flame leapt from Amelia's shivering hands, only to drown in the welling crimson.

Sylphiel knelt beside Amelia professionally and began to chant. The wound struggled maliciously to stay open, but the pure light slowly began to knit the flesh back together.

"I can handle this, Ms. Amelia," Sylphiel said breathlessly, "It could be worse, at least there isn't any, um, clothing that could get stuck in the wound. Please leave this to me."

"Thank you," Amelia sighed, moving her bloodstained hands uncertainly. "Take care of my sister."

"'Sister'?" Lina gawped nosily, surprising Amelia by her presence. "'Sister?'"

"I knew she reminded me of you and Phil," said Gourry cheerfully.

"That's too much to think about right now," Lina declared hastily. Amelia noticed that the sorceress looked a little green. "I'll break my brain over this later. Sylphiel, will Naga be alright?"

"Yes."

"Good, then we'll handle Edgar."

On cue, Edgar swayed forward, discarding Naga's cape that had acted as a blind. His blank eyes tried to focus on Naga.

"Two?" He asked vaguely. "There are two?" Edgar stood straining to stare.

"I recognize that knife." Marinnie's small voice piped up near Lina's left knee.

"What?"

"The knife," Phibrizzo repeated slowly, as though to a simpleton. "I recognize it. It belongs to Lord Ruby Eyes, He made it."

Lina stared at the knife clutched in Edgar's filthy hand. She hadn't really looked at it before; she had registered its existence while trying to avoid the explosions but nothing more. Now that she looked, she couldn't find any reason to keep looking.

"What does it do?"

"It calls upon His power in exchange for something else," Phibrizzo explained. "It's like a weak Dragon Slave without the training or chanting."

"What do you mean, 'in exchange for something else'?" Lina asked, still watching the madman.

Behind her back Phibrizzo exchanged a glace with Gaav. The Devil Dragon King frowned and ran a hand through his hair before picking up where the Hellmaster stopped.

"First it eats magical power. Once it's done with that, it starts to eat the user, in that way it's similar to Zanaffar."

"It's eating him?" Gourry asked, his voice rising slightly. "It is really bad then, isn't it?"

"Then that's what the Zanaffar thing is for?" Zelgadis deduced, "It's acting as a supply of magical power to feed the knife."

"Ha," Marinnie scoffed, "Anything made by Lord Ruby Eyes would not be deceived so easily."

"What'll happen if I get the knife away from him?" Lina's voice was calm as she adjusted her grip on the Blessed Blade. She looked down at the Hellmaster, a commanding ruby gaze.

"He'll die." Phibrizzo shrugged, "But then again, I wouldn't be surprised if he's already dead. He's probably been dead for a long time. Right now he's like a marionette made of yarn; if you cut his strings he'll unravel completely."

"That's too bad." A faint trace of regret shaded Lina's voice as she pointed the Blessed Blade at Edgar. "But it isn't my problem."

Edgar snapped out of his reverie with a movement like a breaking neck.

"Let's go!"

……………………

"Ha," Zelas sighed, sinking limply into the embrace of her icy prison.

Dolphin and Grausherra looked at her, unsure.

"Ha," she repeated, her head jerking upward merrily.

"Zelas?" Dolphin asked nervously, edging behind Grausherra. "Zelas? You know you can't escape, right? You can't beat Grausherra and me by yourself."

"Ha," Zelas giggled a final time. "Don't be silly Dolphin; if I had to, I'd kill you both. I am a mother; you don't want to get between a mother and her child. Be happy I don't have to hurt you."

Dolphin shuddered and her lips twisted into a pained grimace. Zelas' declarations of motherhood disturbed Dolphin more than anything from her own mind.

"Then it's almost over?" Grausherra's quiet question sounded more like a statement.

"Yes."

"And they all lived happily ever after?" Dolphin suggested.

"Maybe," Zelas sighed. "It isn't over yet. I don't know if it'll ever end."

……………………

Lina wrinkled her nose as Edgar charged towards her, something was definitely rotting. She shifted the Blessed Blade and prepared to meet his attack. Edgar's bland oatmeal eyes didn't focus on Lina as he flew towards her.

As he flew past her.

Sylphiel let out a small shriek and flung herself over Naga's prone form as Edgar dashed past Lina and Gourry. Amelia leapt to shield the shrine maiden and her sister while Zelgadis in turn tried to hide her with his arm.

"Let's see what you can do!" Gaav chuckled, appearing in Edgar's trajectory with his knee thrusting forward viciously.

The faceless man hit the Devil Dragon King's leg with a squelch. The knife swung wildly, a beam of red shot into the sky and a dark welt appeared on Gaav's hand behind the dagger's uncontrolled arc.

Gaav cursed as he and Edgar stumbled away from one another.

"Idiot," Marinnie snapped from the sidelines. "Even a traitor still belongs to his maker. There's no way to escape the ties of duty."

"Shut up, shrimp," he retorted grumpily as he clenched his wounded hand and inspected an Edgar-shaped stain on his pants. "Gross…"

Amelia and Zelgadis dashed out from behind Gaav, hoping to catch the madman before he recovered from his encounter with the immense knee. They chanted in synchrony as they ran and they halted beside one another perfectly, shouting with a single voice as identical spells came into existence.

"Ra Tilt!"

Brilliant blue burst blindingly from the pair, burying Edgar's body with bright light. Lina winced, relaxed her stance, and shielded her squinting eyes with a hand. She could barely make out the madman's silhouette, but she could see the misty Zanaffar around his arm writhing furiously and buckling under the strain.

'_Eat the synchronized spirit special,'_ Lina thought smugly, rubbing small tears from her dazzled eyes. _'I'm so proud of them; they've gotten better at that.'_

"Did it work?" Gourry asked.

Lina, unable to smack Gourry for fear of slicing him with the Blessed Blade, smacked her forehead irritably.

"Don't ask that," she pleaded to her blond buddy blinking at her mildly. "Every single time, as soon as someone asks that—"

"It didn't work!" Filia notified them as the light of the combined spells dissipated.

"—It doesn't work," Lina concluded. "Y'know, compared to a Dragon Slave, Ra Tilt is a rip off; at the very least a Dragon Slave makes a mark on the scenery."

"Did it do anything to him?" Amelia wondered, frustrated, as Edgar swayed forward while patches of his Zanaffar congealed into the air around him.

"It wouldn't," Gaav informed the princess, "Thanks to the knife, he doesn't exist on the astral plane; he's just an obsession driving a lump of meat along the material world."

"If he's just on the material plane could a fireball do anything to him?" Amelia asked.

"I doubt it, he has an impressive defense thanks to that Zanaffar," Zelgadis reminded her. "Besides, hasn't Lina already hit him once or twice?"

"Oh…" she frowned, mulling her magical arsenal over.

"I guess I may as well take a swing now," Lina declared as she sprinted towards Edgar's back, brandishing the Blessed Blade.

"Lina!" Gourry yelled, horrified at her bold charge. "Don't—"

Edgar's head whirled, followed by the rest of his body. Lina smirked, she had closed the distance quickly and the sword was already aiming for Edgar's chest. Under the moonlight, the dark metal of the blade glinted out an omen of victory to her.

And then the faceless man jerked away and the semi-transparent Zanaffar blocked her view for a nauseating moment. Lina's other senses screamed at her, but her astonished eyes gazed at a begging woman's face made of blue mist. She saw the woman's hands reach towards her in supplication. Outside sound melted into a low roar as the woman whispered weakly to Lina. The sorceress strained her ears and eyes, trying to understand.

Before she could understand what the woman in the Zanaffar was reaching and begging for, the figure vanished, dragged into the knife in Edgar's hand. The knife glowed with a sickly red that was the opposite of light and Lina cursed herself mentally.

There wasn't enough time or space to dodge now.

Gourry yelled her name again as the crimson energy leapt out of the knife barely a foot away from her body. Desperately she swung the Blessed Blade before her, hoping to deflect some of the damage.

The sword met the streak of scarlet and for a moment the Orion's belt of rubies in the blade seemed to compete with the blood-tinted energy. Lina could feel the hilt heating up in her hands. Then the moment broke and the explosion erupted and boiled the air around Lina even as the Blessed Blade slurped the magic up greedily.

The resulting blast flung Lina into Gourry's open arms, sans sword. She gulped the cool night air gratefully and allowed a bit of self-pity over her bruised ribs, while thanking her lucky stars that she hadn't received worse internally or externally, before Gourry moved.

"Thank you," she said, wincing over her tender ribs as Gourry placed her back on the ground. "Sorry for the scare."

While Lina flew along the edge of the explosion into Gourry, the Blessed Blade sailed merrily through the air in the opposite direction; comically pointing straight at the heavens like a rebellious finger throughout the flight. The slow arc, apparently at the speed of a dandelion seed, bowed to the pull of gravity and the sword landed, providentially perhaps, before Filia.

Filia bent and retrieved the sword quickly, as though she feared that prolonged contact with the ground would somehow damage the weapon. Once she had picked it up, however, she stood holding the sword gingerly before her, as though she was waiting for someone else to take the Blessed Blade.

"Use the Blessed Blade, Filia!" Lina shouted hoarsely.

"What?!"

"You heard me," Lina retorted impatiently as Gourry moved away from her flailing gestures. Edgar's form reappeared as the dust settled and Lina pointed at him to emphasize her point, "Slash him with the sword. You can do it, I'm rooting for you!"

"But I," Filia protested, "I don't know how to use a sword. It's different from a mace. And it looks weird…"

"Does it matter what it looks like?" Lina snapped as Edgar pointed the knife at Filia. "It isn't that hard, but if you can't slash him, I'm sure whacking him over the head will work too. The Blessed Blade can't be too picky right?"

"The Blessed Blade doesn't need to cut anything," Sylphiel affirmed Lina's assumption for Filia. "As a part of Flagoon, it can absorb Zanaffar's miasma with minimal contact."

"Alright, I can handle swinging around a blunt object," Filia admitted, "I'm pretty good at it actually. Who knows, I might even be lucky enough to hit him with the sharp edge."

"Don't get too ambitious now," Marinnie muttered.

Filia looked uneasily at the blade in her hands again and found that the amethysts seemed to be laughing at her hesitations.

"Fine," she huffed, irrationally irritated at the gems winking under the moon. "I'm not going to stand on the sidelines, so don't you laugh at me."

"Is the light really bad or is she talking to the Blessed Blade?" Gaav asked Val nervously.

"Yes. She, um, does that sometimes," the young dragon replied, slightly embarrassed on Filia's behalf. "To, um, purple things."

"Besides, I'm sure you talk to your sword," Marinnie smirked slyly. "I remember that one time, oh, about two thousand years ago…"

Edgar looked first at Lina and Gourry. His empty gaze shifted towards Amelia, and then to Sylphiel and Naga behind her. The blank eyes slid over Zelgadis, Gaav, Val, and Marinnie until they found Filia.

"That toy sword…" he growled, pulling his lips back hatefully. For the first time, perhaps in his life, Edgar Crow began to resemble an individual person rather than a template of a human as he snarled at the Blessed Blade in Filia's hands. "It should not be; it wasn't a part of this before. Why?"

Filia stared as something close to fear twisted the man's face. She could see the vague creature on his arm buckling as he glared at the Blessed Blade. If she squinted, she could make out faces and hands within the writhing creature. A chill crept along her spine as she stared back at the madman.

"I see. I am betrayed."

"Go for it Ms. Filia! Smash him with your righteous might!" Amelia shouted, startling the dragon maiden. "Mr. Zelgadis and I are right here to back you up, so you don't need to worry."

"R-right… Righteous might. Thank you, Ms. Amelia."

"Filia, we'll do what we can," Zelgadis amended Amelia's confident declaration cautiously; feeling torn between the necessity of a rational assessment of his own abilities and an understanding of the futility of countering Amelia's fervent declarations.

Filia nodded, hardly hearing Zelgadis.

'_I need to get close enough to hit him, but I mustn't give him enough time to prepare a counter attack the way Ms. Lina did,'_ Filia thought rapidly. _'I don't like the idea of attacking someone from behind, Mazoku might do so, but I'm a dragon. Still, it would be safer…'_

Her eyes closed and she vanished in a blaze of light.

"Where?" Edgar grunted, as though the effort to unclench his teeth and say more was too great.

"Here!" Filia's clear voice cried from behind him.

Edgar spun to face her, his bland eyes bulging. Filia let out a shout and swung the Blessed Blade with as much of her draconic strength as she could muster, smashing the width of the blade into Edgar's furious, horrified, and then strangely emotionless face.

His head snapped back on his neck with an audible breaking noise and he staggered backwards, his limbs bent weirdly. He stayed upright like a bizarre statue of broken glass, peeling paint, and twisted metal.

Still, he clutched the knife.

"I'm still okay, aren't I? That wasn't, technically, attacking from behind, was it?" Filia asked nervously, averting her eyes from the madman's broken neck.

"It looked pretty sneaky to me," Lina called back brightly. "I'm sure I've seen Xelloss pull a similar stunt before."

Filia shuddered and made an exaggerated face of disgust and anger at the comparison before looking again, uneasily, at Edgar's broken, unmoving form.

While the hand that held the knife did not loosen the death grip, something fell from his hand, or rather, his arm. The strange misty monstrosity, Edgar's Zanaffar, dropped to the ground, where it coiled in a confusion of foggy faces. Filia's blow had knocked the creation from its creator.

"Oh," Filia gasped as transparent hands reached from the twitching Zanaffar.

"Someone has to kill it," Gourry informed her grimly, approaching and taking the sword from her hands. "I can handle this if you don't want to."

"Please, do." Filia turned her face away and stepped back obediently.

"Sorry," Gourry said, perhaps to Filia or himself or to the pitiful life form before him.

"Thank you." A hoarse whisper gasped as the Blessed Blade bit into the creature. Seconds later, only a few tendrils of the blue mist remained, which raced to throw themselves upon the sword. "Thank you."

"Thank you," Filia echoed. "I, thank you for taking care of that, Mr. Gourry."

"Hm? Yeah, no problem," the blond man smiled. "It had to be done. Normally Lina finishes things off, but that wasn't really her style."

"I'll go for the explosions or the dramatic final blows," Lina agreed, "But when it comes to stabbing something twitching on the ground, count me out please."

"Ah," Filia smiled, "I'll keep that in mind next time." And then-

Over Gourry's shoulder she saw Edgar's head swing upright and wobble slightly on his broken neck.

Her horrified gasp caused Gourry to glance backwards. Edgar lurched forward, his face a waxen mask of deranged fury. His knife glowed again, with the flesh of his own hand melting and flowing into it to fuel the demonic power. With the explosion impending, he leapt for the two people nearest him.

"No!" Wasn't it Lina's voice that cried with such piercing anguish?

Gaav leapt through one hole in the air and out another, vanishing and reappearing beside Gourry and Filia in a fraction of a heartbeat.

"Idiot!" Marinnie's shrill chastisement began again as Gaav grabbed the blonde dragon and swordsman and yanked them across the dimensions and ended as the trio crashed back to the material plane.

"What're you whining about this time?" Gaav snapped, heedless of the scorch that left a hole through his collar that showed off one side of his neck.

"What's wrong with you?" Phibrizzo demanded. "Why are you risking yourself like that? That's not, that's not supposed to be you!"

"It's Lina's fault," Gaav concluded so quickly that the answer was transparently premeditated. "And, hey, I might've just saved the world along with Gourry. Go me."

"Thanks, I owe you, Gaav," said Gourry, "Could you, um, get off of my back?"

"Huh?" A glance down confirmed Gourry's squashed predicament, "Oh, right." Gaav stood up and helped Gourry, who winced at the creaking noises from his back, up to his feet.

"You'll die! You'll die!" Edgar's insane shriek returned their attention to him as he sprinted for Amelia. "You must die."

"Fireball!" The princess responded with a decently sized magical inferno.

"It isn't strong enough!" Lina declared, frustrated at her friend's uncharacteristic insistence on less than overkill. "It won't be enough or… ah!"

As Amelia's spell rushed towards Edgar, a wild smile spread across Lina's face. For a second she was so smug, applauding herself as the sorcery genius of the age, that she looked like a well satisfied and slightly deranged cat.

Lina shouted joyfully, "Fireball!"

Her spell left her hands, roaring and singeing the air as it shot towards its target. Lina was aiming not for Edgar; she could hit him if she wanted to, but instead for Amelia's fireball.

"You idiot!" Zelgadis yelled desperately, "You know what happens when those collide! You… you know exactly what happens." _'Either Lina is being crazy or she's being a genius… or both at the same time.'_

Edgar was too focused on Amelia in his final desperation to kill her that he didn't see as the two spells collided, like long separated lovers, half a foot behind his head. He heard them as they met for a second or two, a horrendous roar of flames hot enough to melt a mountain, but the immense voice of the two white cores crashing against one another so close by was too much to for any ear to endure.

Lina threw herself to the ground a split second before the spells hit, too tired to cast a shield but too smart to risk getting caught by the small tongues of flames licking away from the collision. The deafening boom sounded across the area that separated Lina from Edgar and through her hands while the radiant firelight dazed her eyes below her eyelids.

For a few minutes, the night outside Seyruun's scarred walls was brighter than the noon. The pale moon vanished briefly behind the searing white that faded into the fiery, dramatic hues of sunset before fizzling out and returning the night to the moon. A blackened crater with a diameter as long as a city block marred the landscape and a soft gray ash drifted snow-like onto the small assembly of people below.

Lina lifted her head and opened her eyes partially. In contrast to the bone shaking explosions earlier in the night, silence, like the dead of winter, greeted her as the soot fell unto her face. Lina sneezed. After a few more seconds of peace, she looked across the burned landscape to her companions, hiding behind several defensive barriers.

The knife, melted and malicious, cut through the falling ash and landed, blade buried deep, an arm's length before Lina. No sign of Edgar remained on the land; the inferno had overpowered his obsession.

"Lina, are you okay?" It was Gourry, racing across the empty space and skirting the edge of the crater to return to her side.

"You," Zelgadis said angrily as he and Amelia joined them, "You, Lina Inverse, are insane!"

"I," Lina corrected him, "I, Lina Inverse, am a genius."

"You know how hard it is to predict what will happen when two spells like that collide, anything could've happened!" Zelgadis was smiling despite his scolding words.

"In addition to being a beautiful sorcery genius, I'm also very lucky." Lina mocked a modest bow from where she sat. "Besides, if that didn't work there were other things I could've tried."

"Now what do we do?" Gourry asked, eyes going from Lina to the empty city.

"You have to ask?" Lina returned brightly. "We're going to get dinner now and Seyruun will take care of the bill in gratitude of my services today, right Amelia?"

"Um…"

"That's what I thought," Lina continued perkily as Gourry helped her to her feet. "Let's get the others and get back to Seyruun. We still have to do something about Xelloss, don't we?"

"Oh, right, Xelloss," Gourry mused as the four tromped back towards the larger group. "He's probably okay, right?"

"Indubitably!" Amelia declared; as they approached, Sylphiel rose to greet them. "Mr. Xelloss wouldn't stay dead even if you killed him!"

"He wouldn't let me test that hypothesis," Gaav frowned.

"Hey, get up, let's get going, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, I want a nice bath, I'm hungry, I'm starving, what are we waiting for?" Lina replied, fast enough to disregard the need for sentences. "Sylphiel, is Naga okay?"

Sylphiel nodded, "Yes," _'Aside from being very exposed to the elements,'_ "I'm finished with the healing. But she's still unconscious."

"I can handle that," Lina said, retrieving a battered slipper.

Before anyone could intervene, Lina smacked Naga across the head several times with a shout of: "Wake up already". Naga yelped and sat up, trying to shove Lina away.

"Awake?"

"You're so mean, Lina."

"I'm hungry."  
"Ah—" Naga began, trying to think of a witty comeback that she could laugh over.

Lina startled the others by sprinting past Naga, towards the empty streets of Seyruun, leaving them to stare.

"W-wait!"

Lina, already a good distance away, turned to stick her tongue out, "Not for you to laugh, Naga!"

"You can't escape, Lina Inverse!" Naga leapt to her feet, let out a jubilant cackle, and raced into her kingdom merrily.

Gaav blinked, glanced around, and ascertained that none of the others had a particularly intelligent look on their face.

"What," Zelgadis finally managed, "Is wrong with your family, Amelia?"

"Huh? Gracia has always been like that. She takes after our mother."

"So," Gaav frowned, "I'm a bit new this 'heroically saving the day' thing. What happens after the big battle? Riding off into the sunset?"

Gourry shrugged, "Lina said dinner."

"Sounds good."

"Verily, though Justice is its own dessert and dessert must be consumed first in our short life, one must not forget to eat dinner! An Ally of Justice must remember to eat well to truly enjoy the sweet rewards of Justice. The wicked may have no peas, but we shall eat our cake and have it too!" Amelia declared happily as they followed Lina's path into the serenity of the white city.

……………………

Slowly he shifted his weight as the bark against his back cut into him. So slowly, slower than cold molasses. But he couldn't move too quickly, exhaustion left him at the point of incapacity and exertion would leave him helpless.

Oh well, he was alive, wasn't he?

Xelloss released a hissing sigh.

Pain was one thing, he could use his own pain if he had to, but that had passed into weariness, utterly worthless, debilitating weariness. His closed eyelids felt like they each weighed more than a fully grown golden dragon after a heavy meal.

Tree huggers could go and-

Loud noises, like a furious stampede and a merry birthday party, approached. Xelloss struggled to slide one eye open, and watched for the people he knew would come.

Lina stumbled boisterously into the place, surrounded by her laughing friends. They rushed into the space like a tidal wave of vitality and stepped around like eddies in a current, banishing the solemn emptiness in the courtyard as they tried to find a place to stand.

"Xelloss," Lina said as she spotted the priest. An arm rose in greeting before she noticed, "You… oh… your, your hair… Xelloss, your hair is…"

A meteor shower at midnight.

"Ah, this?" He asked, twirling a silver streaked strand around a finger. "Hmm… It makes me look distinguished." Even in Flagoon's shadow, the moonlight made his hair glow. For an instant he looked old.

They stood facing him. For a few seconds Lina stood, trembling on the edge of speaking. Wrapped in flowing, white robes, with a pale, drawn face and silvered hair; Xelloss looked like another person. Only his eyes, watching them lazily, remained the same.

"Bah!" Lina laughed, and they swept forth to surround Xelloss.

He yelped as they fell around him in a laughing, welcoming heap.

"Help," he managed weakly as friendly hands tangled his hair and patted his shoulders, "Happiness… Why are you so happy?"

"Don't do that again, Xelloss," Filia said as she tapped the weary priest on the shoulder with a mock punch. "Just, don't."

"Ah," Lina sighed cheerfully, flopping on to her back across Gourry's knees. "Welcome back, Xelloss. Did you have fun?"

"It was," Xelloss paused, struggling to resist temptation. Temptation won. "It was a real _tree_-t."

Lina blinked, "Tell me I didn't hear that."

"You didn't hear that, Ms. Lina."

"Good. Hey, Amelia? Amelia?" Lina craned her neck looking for the princess.

"Yes?" Amelia replied, moving into Lina's field of vision.

"Tell the royal cooks to get to work. I'm starving."

"Ms. Lina… I hate to tell you this, but, well," Amelia fiddled uneasily with the hem of her tunic, "Ms. Lina, the royal cooks were evacuated with the rest of Seyruun…"

Lina stared blankly at Amelia, as though the princess had grown two extra heads and begun reciting mathematical proofs in another language while blowing bubbles and shaking a tambourine. Slowly horror spread across Lina's face as the truth sank in.

"Ms. Lina?" Xelloss asked after a minute of silence. "Are you going to lay there feeling depressed for the rest of the night?"

"Yes. No. Fine!" Lina declared, rolling to her feet. "C'mon, let's go to the next village for dinner."

"I can't go, I need to stay here, Ms. Lina," Amelia said quietly. "I need to help my people when they return to Seyruun."

"Oh," Lina faltered, "Alright. I guess that's what you have to do."

"I think I'm going to stay in Seyruun for a bit as well," Zelgadis put in. He turned to the princess, "You'll need help, won't you, Amelia?"

"Yes, Seyruun will take awhile before she is restored." A smile lit Amelia's face before she brought a hand before her face to hide her blushing cheeks, "Thank you, Mr. Zelgadis."

"I," Naga declared loudly, "Will naturally be staying in Seyruun!"

"As will I," Sylphiel murmured. "If it's not too much trouble, Ms. Amelia, I would like to stay near Flagoon."

"But of course, Ms. Sylphiel!" Amelia declared, "We of Seyruun would be happy to have you stay here, happy if you could assist us in taking care of Flagoon."

"You should stay here," Xelloss agreed sleepily, "That's what it wants."

"Are you okay?" The golden dragon maiden asked, raising an eyebrow at the Mazoku's yawning remark.

"'m fine," he mumbled, "Just need to rest a bit. Now that everything is wrapped up."

"Well then, I guess that means we're leaving."

"Filia," Lina chuckled suggestively, "That's rather, um, forward of you!"

"He'll just get underfoot in Seyruun and I doubt taking him to dinner with you will do any good," Filia huffed primly, "It's nothing more than that. Come on, Val, we're going home."

"Home?" Val replied brilliantly. He glanced at Gaav quizzically, asking for a gesture of guidance.

The Devil Dragon King nodded quickly and smirked, "Seeya around, Val. Take care, okay?"

"Right… you too. Goodbye for now."

"It seems like we're all splitting ways too early," Lina mentioned with a small frown. "But I'm sure I'll see everyone again. It's not like goodbye is forever."

"I'll come with you," Phibrizzo offered, "I'm hungry and—"

"Marinnie! Marinnie!" Martina and Zangulas entered the courtyard at a run, nearly colliding with Filia and Xelloss as they waved at their daughter, who tried to hide behind Lina.

"Hi?" Phibrizzo asked nervously.

Martina looked at her daughter, the overly precocious child whose quirks were always written off as something from her inheritance. The unnaturally bright green eyes, eyes unlike either parent's or any human's eyes, looked back, a standoffish stare hiding over-wise apprehension.

"Marinnie," Martina sighed, swooping down on the child. "I was worried about you. You know I love you very much no matter what, don't you? Come on, let's go back to Xoana."

"But," Phibrizzo began impatiently. "Listen… Mar—mom…"

"Bye," Gaav interrupted loudly. "Be a good princess."

"Take care of your kid, Martina," Lina added. "And yourself, okay?"

"Lina… I," tears of happiness welled up in Martina's eyes as she clutched her child to her chest. "I promise I won't ask Zoamelgustar to curse you for two months! Two whole months!" The pledge, no matter how heartfelt, echoed awkwardly in the confines of the courtyard.

"…You're welcome..?"

Lina waved half-heartedly as the royal family of Xoana left in Filia's wake.

"Well, to dinner then," Lina cheerfully declared. "Gourry, you're coming with me, aren't you?"

"Yup," the swordsman grinned, _'For the rest of my life, Lina.'_

"What about you, Gaav? What'll you do?"

"Stick with you two," the Devil Dragon King shrugged, "It keeps life interesting."

"'May you live in interesting times'," Lina recited, "I think that's some sort of ancient good luck wish but I can't remember if there's more than just that…"

"Interesting times?" Zelgadis mused, "It fits you very well, Lina." _'But sometimes it seems more like a curse than good luck; I've had enough for today.'_

"Bye for now," Lina called as she rose into the peaceful sky with Gourry in tow, "But don't worry, I know we'll meet again!"

……………………

The golden light spread across eternity, waves rippled over the surface here and there like crinkles in cloth. Perhaps it was part of a sea that lapped at shores so far way and roiled wildly when stormy, but at the present nothing existed but the golden.

No seagull dared to mar the silence with a lonesome cry, no wind came to lift stinging salt spray from the golden waters, no stars stared down to guide lost sailors; there was nothingness aside from the golden. Nothing else had ever been there before. Nothing more than the golden water was there, save a newly arrived pier.

A pair with fishing poles perched upon the pier patiently peering into the water from which they had, for all intents and purposes, appeared a few seconds previous. They sat so still that ripples didn't form where the fishing poles met the golden.

A few minutes passed in silence, as though waiting for an unknown cue with the worry that it had already been given.

"This is the end."

"The what?"

"The end,"

"The what?"  
"The end."

"Oh. The end."

They became quiet again, but only for a beat before the talk resumed.

"Funny things, aren't they?" Rosencrantz, unless it was Guildenstern, mused. "Endings I mean. Everything builds up, like preparations for an avalanche, one thing at a time (there's the prologue and, though I remember very little of it, our past), and then something, I don't know what, breaks it! Suddenly, all the foreshadowing looming above comes roaring down with a gleeful vengeance."

"Roaring down with a gleeful vengeance," Guildenstern continued solemnly, "Echoing through the valleys as it viciously sweeps up and smoothers everything in its path. And then…"

"And then what? What comes after the action?"

"Silence, I presume."

"Do you hold your breath," Rosencrantz asked, "Hoping to see someone, something, climb out, weary but triumphant for surviving?"

"Why should you?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

"Once it's the end, it's the end. There's no point in drawing it out any further, that's just pitifully painful."

"When is it the end?"

"This is the end."

"Says who?"

"I thought you…"

"No, it was you… unless, am I you and you I or is it the other way around?"

"I," Guildenstern decided, "am Guildenstern. And you, you are Rosencrantz."

"Are you sure?"

"Fifty percent positive."

"Well, those are better odds than I had, I figured either I was Guildenstern and you Rosencrantz or the other way around."

"Funny, isn't it? Usually you have better odds. At least when it comes to the coin."

"The coin! Oh, want to make a bet?"

"Why?"

"To decide if this," a sweeping gesture encompassing the golden surroundings with the fishing pole nearly poked Guildenstern's eye out, "Is the end."

"If it wasn't, where would we go?"

"I don't know," Rosencrantz admitted shamelessly, "But this pier has to connect to something, right?"

Squinting down the pier revealed an excellent exercise in endless perspective, but nothing more to back up the optimistic claim.

"Fine, let's make the bet." The coin appeared, almost miraculously, between Guildenstern's fingers. "Heads we stay, tails we go."

"That isn't fair, the coin always gives heads and you know it!" Rosencrantz protested self-righteously. "Why don't we bet that the year of my birth doubled is even?"

"You can't remember when you were born, that wouldn't work."

"Your birth?"

"Heads or tails, call it."

"Really, it wouldn't make a difference what year we picked," Rosencrantz wheedled, "They're all even once you double them."

"Heads or tails?"

Defeated, Rosencrantz sighed, struggled and finally stammered, "H-heads."

"Predictable, aren't we?"

The coin went up, glinting with the same hue as the water rippling excitedly around the pier.

Slowly, yet inexorably, the coin descended to Guildenstern's open palm, flipping side over side in debate. It posed in his hand, quivering on edge indecisively, their fortune laughing at the eager pair like an unattainable strumpet, for an impossibly long moment. Finally, perhaps with some assistance, the coin collapsed lifelessly.

"Why I never!"

"How odd, how odd indeed!"

"Tails…"

……………………

THE END

……………………

**Author's Note to the Enduring and Endearing Reader:** Thank you for reading.

I finally finished writing this after a year, a month, and about two days. I think I've gotten better at writing since I started and worse at timely updates.

I wonder what I'll do next…

Thank you very much, it makes my day!


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